


What We All Want

by DameoftheDark



Series: Dani Phantom [7]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: AU where danny sam and tucker are the opposite gender, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-30 22:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 34,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15761301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DameoftheDark/pseuds/DameoftheDark
Summary: Fighting with a friend is never easy, especially when that friend's a three ton half ghost bent on breaking every bone in your body. Luckily for Dani, she's able to reverse Tucker's wish-tastic transformation and return her to normal. Things quickly go awry, however, during a chat-turned-argument on the way home from school the following day. The goth realizes his true feelings for Dani, but is shot down cold. Aggravated by Sam's pension for bad mouthing Vlad, Dani ends up revealing her feelings for the older man, and declares that she couldn't love anyone else. Frustrated and brokenhearted, Sam wishes that Dani could "see the real Vlad", and his desire is overheard by Desiree, who gladly grants it. As a consequence, Vlad's possessive nature is unveiled. Meanwhile, Desiree grants wishes all over Amity Park, causing general mayhem. Will Dani be able to stop this ghostly threat, as well as undo Sam's wish, all while Vlad tries to keep her all to himself?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I felt bad that this chapter was so short, so I'm posting both this and the next chapter. This is why it took me so long to update. Sorry 'bout that!

“Tucker! Stop, please! You can’t keep going on like this!” Dani beseeched as she zipped around the computer geek’s gargantuan green form. In response to her pleas, the muscular and savaged teenager swatted a clawed and scaly hand, serving to launch the ghost girl into the ghost portal’s door. Hitting it with her back, the white-haired ghost heroine groaned, and slid to the cold floor. But Tucker gave her no time to recover; she bounded toward Dani, her fiery red eyes blazing with ire and baring her sharpen teeth (which was **all** of them). The geek roared and threw her fist into the door, intending to hit her opponent square in the face, but the half ghost turned intangible and sank through the lab’s floor.

The herculean techno enthusiast whipped her head around the room, frustrated and puzzled. Her clothes were torn at the edges, with her brown t-shirt exposing her stomach like a crop top and ends of her long sleeves ripped at the wrists. Her ankles shown as well, due to the rips in the navy-blue jeans she wore

She was essentially the ghost version of the incredible hulk.

Over the weekend, she and Dani had gone to the flea market with the rest of the Fentons, at Jack’s insistence, in order to spend more quality time together. Luckily, the two youths managed to slip away, but soon found themselves in a bizarre section of the market. There, they came across a woman who sold a full menagerie of mystic artifacts---one of which reminded the pair of friends of their favorite Disney movie. It was a small golden lamp with strange writting imbedded around the base. The girls picked it up and fiddled with it, pretending to be Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, causing the vendor to chuckle. Then Tucker nodded her head and put the lamp back on the table, with a “Thanks anyway”, and the two went on their way.

Little did Dani know the terrors this little lamp would cause.

The young girl poked her head through the floor, behind Tucker, and furrowed her brow. She hated fighting with one of her best friends, but she **really** hated **fighting** with one of her best friends. At first, the entire confrontation between them was little more than an argument over Dani being a show off---which now, she conceited to be the case---but as soon as one could say “Beware”, the peppy teenager’s friend had become a half ghost too. Rapidly, Tucker’s envy had taken hold, and her ghost form reflected this, turning her into a nearly mindless beast.

The younger half ghost knew this was her fault, and now she was determined to save Tucker from the spell that trapped her in her own jealousy.

She sailed out of the floor and socked the computer geek in the neck, the force strong enough to send her into the ceiling. The sickening clang made Dani wince, but she had no time to worry about her friend as Tucker turned right around and growled, flying back down and slamming her fist into the floor just centimeters from the young heroine. With a yelp, Dani fly backward and away from her opponent, generating ectoplasmic mist in her hands.

“Tucker, I really hate to do this, but you have to stop! Don’t make this harder than it needs to be!” she implored with a desperate expression.

The geek only replied with an ear-bursting roar, and hurtled toward her again. Dani fired her beams of ecto-energy then, guilty that she had to attack. The beams collided with Tucker’s chest and she stopped, crying out like a wounded bear.

“I’m sorry, dude!”

Tucker growled and held her injured spot. No matter what she said, Dani couldn’t get a coherent response; it appeared as though Tucker lost the capability to communicate in the way self-aware creatures could.

She charged at her again, and Dani continued her volley, but the computer geek championed through them and seized the heroine’s petite form in her monstrous grip. The younger half ghost thrashed and struggled, but the hold was tighter than skinny jeans on a cheerleader. It was so constrictive, the green-eyed girl feared she might not be able to turn intangible again and escape.

Then Tucker squeezed hard, applying pressure to Dani’s body and bringing out a cry from her.

“Tucker! Wake up! You’re not this kind of person! Can’t you see how these powers have changed you?”

Her friend-turned-adversary snarled, and chucked her across the room. Free to go intangible once more, Dani wasted no time as she closed in on the wall. Phasing through it, she heard a roar emanate in the lab, and soon enough Tucker was on her tail. She zipped back around and flew through the same wall and back into the space, with Tucker on her heels.

_I can’t let her leave the lab until Sam gets here._

The techno-geek voiced her adamant irritation with yet another guttural growl and shot a green fire ball from her mouth. The half ghost dodged by weaving around the flaming projectile, only for it to crash into the ghost portal’s door panel, damaging it. The teenager, turning her head, made a mental note to fix that later, and then faced Tucker again, who had taken advantage of the distraction and punched Dani with a glowing fist. Dull pain coursed through her abdomen, quickly followed by a burning sensation. As Dani looked down to see her jumpsuit singed, Tucker grabbed her by the hair and whipped her around like a jock would a towel in the locker room. when she released her, the ghost girl sailed into a table filled with beakers and test tubes, breaking all of them.

She lay on the table, attempting to gather herself, when Tucker was on her again. She jumped to the ceiling and landed on top of Dani, pinning her to the flimsy table---so naturally the whole thing gave way.

With splinters and broken glass all around them, the young heroine struggled once more, feeling the pieces of shrapnel dig and cut into her skin. She was sure if ghosts could bleed, she would have.

_Sam! Sam, where the hell are you right now?!_

Goo dripped from Tucker’s elongated teeth, hitting the young half ghost’s cheeks and running down to her neck. She cringed at this, but quickly forgot her serious disgust when footsteps descended the lab stairs.

The goth leaped unto the floor, Fenton Thermos strapped to his hip and the Fenton Ghost Catcher against his shoulder. The device secreted a white aura, obvious reacting to the presence of two ghostly beings.

“What take ya?!” Dani called from her trapped position.

“My bad! I had to sneak this away from your dad! Are you sure this will work?”

“No! Just do it!” she demanded.

Sam run over to Tucker, wielding the Fenton Ghost Catcher like a sword. Gripping with both hands, he pulled the surprisingly light invention back behind his head, and when he was only a few feet from his friends, swung the instrument at Tucker’s intimidating form. Since her focus was solely on her restrained prey, the computer geek didn’t notice the Fenton Ghost Catcher until it was too late; it struck her and propelled her to the left, but before she hit the ground (or anything, for that matter), a solid---and definitely human---body fell away from the whole, leaving but a transparent specter.

The computer geek shook her head and opened her eyes, seeing the looming, otherworldly beast above her.

“Is that…is that me?” she asked with regret oozing from her tone.

“No, not anymore,” Dani reassured before turning to Sam. “Sam! The Thermos!”

The goth complied, tossing the cylindrical container to the half ghost, who proceeded to uncap it and suck the incarnation of envy inside.

“Phew,” Sam breathed.

“Oh man! Dani! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what came over me.” Tucker lamented.

“It’s O.K. You were under Desiree’s spell, but you broke it. And besides, I have been a bit of a show off lately, so I’m sorry too.”

The girls hugged and after a minute they pulled apart.

“But you guys did all the work. If it weren’t for you, I would **still** be under her spell.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s over, isn’t it?” Sam chimed in with a grin.

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks,” Tucker acknowledged with a grateful smile.

Dani walked over to the ghost portal, and deposited the Thermos into its holster, and immediately the doors opened, revealing the entrance to the Ghost Zone. The young half ghost pushed the Thermos down just a smidge, and the forms of Tucker’s ghost, as well as a clearly furious Desiree, spiraled until they were flushed into the other world.

She looked at the slightly burnt control panel, and then pressed the “close” button. When the doors sealed without issue, the teenager sighed in relief to herself.

“Glad that’s over,” the goth stated, rubbing his shoulder.

“Same! That’s the last time I mess with ghostly genies,” the techno geek remarked.

“Here here,” the young heroine added. “So, what do you say we head out and grab a bite? I could really go for some waffles.”

“Mmm! Sounds good to me! I’m starved!” Tucker enthused.

“Is the diner really open this late?” asked the rebel, consulting the clock in his cell phone. “It’s already 5 in the afternoon.”

“Ah, that place is open forever. Come on, lets get our breakfast on!” Dani said while pumping her fist in the air.

“Yay! Breakfast for dinner!” Tucker cheered, high fiving the half ghost.

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Alright, fine. But we need to hurry so we can study for midterms. They’re next week, remember?”

“Yeah yeah, we got it,” the heroine dismissed as she transformed back into her human form.

The trio made their way out of the lab, passionately discussing their favorite breakfast foods as their voices faded upstairs. But suddenly, in the empty room, the ghost portal kicked back to life; the control panel sparked, and the red light above the doors blared, spinning like a police crusher’s lights. Milliseconds later, the doors opened once again. Desiree popped her head out, her fire engine red eyes bearing hate and her long raven locks billowing around her.

 “This isn’t over, ghost girl, not by a long shot,” the ghostly wish granter warned as she drifted out of the ghost portal, with her tail swishing like a temperamental cat. “And once I’ve found the perfect wish, you’ll regret the day you interfered with me.”

 

***********

 

The chill proved to be far more bracing than it had been recently, so the citizens of Amity Park layered up with sweaters, hoodies, and winter coats. Not a one was without some sort of cold weather clothing, and the trio were no exception. The goth wore a black turtle neck under his trademark trench coat, choosing to pair this with grey jeans and jet-black combat boots. The computer geek, on the other hand, was dressed in a baggy orange sweatshirt that dropped to her knees (it was her father’s) and a long-sleeved blue shirt beneath it, coupled with a pair of black leggings under her blue jeans, and her usual red beanie. Dani was adorned with a grey cashmere sweater with her zipped bubblegum hoodie over it, as well as her favorite pair of skinny jeans and some thick leggings under those.

Tucker shivered as they trekked down the street, attempting to bury her face in the collar of her draping garment.

“It should be illegal to have school on mornings like this,” she complained. “Seriously, it’s like I’m walking through invisible ice.”

“At least we’re almost there,” the ghost girl pointed out. “Why don’t we talk the bus, anyway? That would be a little better than this.”

Sam glanced at Dani with harsh eyes. “Because it sucks, and it’s only slightly better than walking. I would rather freeze my ass off than ride in a smelly bus full of screeching teenagers.”

“You sound like an old man.” Tucker teased with a smirk.

“Better an old man than a smothered sardine.” The goth affirmed.

“I see you’re point,” the young heroine stated with a nod, casting her baby blues at the sidewalk.

The group of friends continued their grueling, mandatory stroll through town, shuddering when a frosty wind assaulted their youthful faces. Their hands were pink with the cold, and Dani shoved hers into her hoodie pockets, hoping to warm them in the flaps of cotton.

Despite the dropping temperature, the young half ghost’s mood was in high spirits. Sure, midterms were approaching---they were the following week, in fact---but she felt gratified. Not only had she defeated the wishing ghost Desiree the day before, but she was also progressing well with regard to her powers. Throughout the entire conflict, her powers hadn’t faulted once. It looked like her training sessions with Vlad were starting to pay off, even if she hadn’t been training with him for long. And yes, she wouldn’t get to train with him again until Thursday, but if anything, this gave the young heroine something to look forward to. She didn’t want to let her mentor down, so she swore to keep her head held high, facing any adversity with confidence.

This was something she nearly forgot when facing the ghostly wish granter. For the first time, one of her friends had been deeply affected by one of her enemies. It vastly troubled the young half ghost, seeing Tucker consumed by her jealousy and become something she wasn’t. The computer geek gradually demonstrated a growing power that was primal, vicious, ferocious, and Dani felt that for once, since she began fighting ghosts, that she had met her match. She didn’t want to fight her best friend, not to mention send her into the Ghost Zone---such a thing was unthinkable! Nevertheless, Dani had to “lay the smack down”, so to speak, and thankfully she was able to save Tucker before it was too late.

Desiree proved to be a formidable foe, lending credence to the saying: “Be careful what you wish for”.

The teenager promised herself then that she would be mindful of what she said from now on, despite knowing Desiree was locked away on the Ghost Zone.

_Its still a good lesson to remember._

When another gust of icy air blew passed the trio, the ghost girl shivered and shrunk in on herself a bit.

_But I seriously wish there was a better way to get to school…one that didn’t involve the bus._

Out of the corner of her eye, she made out a 2005 black mustang cruising up the street. It had sleek red stripes going up the car’s hood, cutting off at the convertible roof (which was up, of course) and continuing down the rear bumper. The vehicle gave off a dignified shine as the sun’s rays bounced of the smooth exterior, impressing any and all who laid eyes on it. Even Dani, who wasn’t a gearhead, turned in awe.

Then it slowed down as it pulled up to the trio.

The passenger window rolled down and revealed Vlad Masters at the wheel.

“Good morning, Danielle,” he greeted with a casual smile.

Dani’s face lit up, her baby blues sparkling. “Vlad! What’re you doing here? I thought you had to go to Colorado?”

“I was just on my way to the airport,” he illuminated. “Perhaps you and your friends would like a lift to school? It’s on my way.”

“A ride---in **this** beauty? Heck yeah!” Tucker stated with great excitement.

“Thanks but no thanks.” Sam started as he looked away from the billionaire. “School’s only a 20 minute walk from here.”

“Yes, 20 more minutes in the cold,” the bachelor pointed out with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

“We can handle it. We’ve done this plenty of times,” the goth explained curtly.

“I would be derelict in my duties as Danielle’s mentor if I allowed her to waste away this weather,” Vlad enlightened, looking the rebel straight in the eye. “And it wouldn’t be fair if I offered my services only to her, especially with you and Ms. Foley present.”

“Wow, how courteous of you,” Sam said sarcastically. “But the answer is still no. It’s not like it’s snowing or anything.”

“Be that as if may, I haven’t heard disagreement from **them** , have you?” the older man inquired as he gestured toward Dani and Tucker. Sam looked at them, seeing nothing but delight and gayety in their faces.

“I call shotgun!” the younger half ghost exclaimed.

“Dang it!” Tucker whined.

Before Sam could stop them, Vlad reached over and opened the passenger door and pulled the passenger seat down, giving the computer geek access to the back seats. She climbed in, catching her foot on the seat and falling face first into the leather upholstery. The older man looked over his shoulder and blinked with curiosity.

“I’m good,” came the computer geeks muffled voice.

He chuckled as Tucker situated herself properly, sitting in her seat behind the driver’s. The goth rolled his eyes and joined the techno geek, throwing himself down like a kid whose mother was forcing him to go to the dentist. Dani, meanwhile, was doing her darndest to not bounce up and down like a giddy fangirl at a Justin Timberlake concert. Of course, once Vlad pulled the passenger’s seat back up, she had to suppress a squeal.

_I get to ride with Vlad in a sweet car?! This is the best day of my life!!_

She clambered into the mustang, grinning from ear to ear. The older half ghost noticed, and smirked to himself.

The goth caught this, however.

“Thank God you got here, Vlad, otherwise we would’ve frozen our buns off, and no one likes cold buns,” Tucker said as she strapped herself in.

The businessman, without looking away from his protégé, chuckled darkly. “No, certainly not.”

The goth caught this too.

Then Vlad pulled the car away from the curb, driving at a cool 45 miles per hour before hitting a intersection. The car gently eased into a stop, as the light was red, and Dani gazed out the windshield at the groups of teenagers trudging to Casper High in sweaters and sweatshirts, looking positively miserable.

_Too bad none of them have a smoking hot gu---I mean **CAR** to take them the rest of the way. Well…Vlad’s hot too…_

Her thoughts had her blushing, so she glanced out her window instead, hoping to keep her mentor from seeing her flustered features.

But he noticed.

_I wonder what she’s thinking in that cute little head of hers. The heater may be on, but not enough to make Danielle red like that. I hope it has to do with me. Perhaps she’s reminiscing our near kiss a couple weeks ago?_

The memory excited him too. He mentally berated himself at the time, but now he could look back on it and smile. The older man promised to never lose his cool, but in that secure room, free from prying eyes, he was at liberty to do whatever he wanted. He could’ve had his way with her and no one would be the wiser. However, such a measure was still inappropriate, no matter how tempting. He didn’t want to risk scaring her off, or revealing his darker nature and not-so-pure intentions. He wanted nothing more to claim his little badger right then and there; kissing her soft skin and leaving marks as proof of who she belonged to, as well as touching very inch of her small body and cradling her in his arms. Countless sinful thoughts surfed through his brain, but he stopped himself when he heard her yelp. It was adorable, but none the less, an eye opener---she wasn’t ready or even **prepared** for this yet, and Vlad would have to be patient just a little while longer.

Though the anticipation and longing were starting to get to him.

The light turned green, and the billionaire’s focus fell back on the road. The man prided himself in many things, and one of them was driving. His attention was always ahead, keeping an eye out for hazards and staying mindful of those around him. In his 24 years of driving, he had not caused **one** accident, and usually it was other drivers that cut him off on freeways and tailgated him on busy streets. Even with Dani sitting right next to him, he remained engrossed, watching the road with fixed navy eyes. It also helped having Tucker and Sam in the back, too.

“Man, we’re gonna look so cool pulling up to school,” the computer geek enthused. “I can’t wait to see Paulina’s face!”

“And Dash and others! Can you imagine how they’ll react?” Dani replied, turning her head to her friend. “They’ll be totally stunned!”

“I don’t think Dash has a car this nice,” Tucker said with a big grin.

“I don’t think he even has a car!” the ghost girl stated with a smile of her own.

“Remind me; Paulina and Dash are those pusillanimous, pettifogging burnouts-in-training that harass you on a regular basis?” Vlad requested, narrowing his eyes.

The teenagers were silent for a few seconds.

“Uh, I don’t know what a couple of those words mean, but yeah, they bully us all the time. Kwan, Star, and Valerie too,” Tucker explained, casting her turquoise orbs at the car floor.

“They’re creeps---all of them,” Dani responded, glaring out the window beside her. “But there’s not much we can do about it. I learned **my** lesson.”

“My offer still stands, Danielle,” the older man stated, glancing at his little badger for a brief moment before looking back to the road.

“Thanks, and as much as I would love to see Plasmius put the popular kids in their place, it wouldn’t solve anything. It would just serve my own ego.”

“Very well.”

Sam scowled at the eccentric bachelor, crossing his arms in a display of disapproval.

_Was he seriously thinking about beating up a bunch of high school kids if Dani asked him too? What the hell kind of person does that?_

The rebel had always received bad vides from the older man. The warning signs were there; something was wrong with this guy. First, his reluctance to forgive and forget what happened between him and Jack Fenton, then his strange attitude regarding Dani, and now this. If the dude was actually considering harming a few teenagers on a whim, then he must have been some kind of sociopath---because seriously, who thinks or even **does** things like that?

Although, if Sam was honest with himself, what he was most discontented with was the way Vlad acted around Dani. It seemed his eyes were always on her, which was more than a little disconcerting. The man was always close to her, from what the goth observed, and for some reason this really got under his skin. Though what he had felt under Ember’s influence was manufactured, this frustration resembled thosw other feelings quite strongly, almost as if the spell’s affects lingered even now.

But surely this was impossible, Sure, at the time he wasn’t a fan of Vlad, but as soon as they defeated Ember, he wasn’t monstrously jealous of the older man anymore. Now, the jury was out on Sam’s feelings; he felt angry, short of temper, and irrational, but what did this mean? Generally, the goth didn’t question his emotions, as he found that they led him to the person he really was (and, side tangent, why couldn’t his parents accept this??), but now he was confused. Vlad may have given off a shady aura, but that was no reason to despise his very guts, right?

However, being an embodiment of teenaged counter culture, it wasn’t unusual for him to hate almost everything, so why was this inspiring an inquiry?

The black mustang pulled up to Casper High, capturing the attention of everyone on the lawn.

“Well, this is you,” Vlad said smiling, looking at Dani’s delicate face.

“Yup, this is us,” she concurred, not wanted to get out just yet.

The four of them sat in silence for a good minute, with both the bachelor and the young heroine wishing for this moment to never end. In the former’s mind, however, it would be greater if the other two weren’t in the car. He humored the idea that if they weren’t he’d throw a little caution to the wind and kiss her, wishing her a good day at school.

Oh, how he longed for them to be alone.

Dani didn’t dare look at Vlad, for she feared he’d be able to read the yearning in her features. After all, he **did** tell her that he could figure people out quite easily. Despite this, she wanted to stay in the car, wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss him until the cows came home. In fact, there were many things she wanted to do, but at the risk of making an absolute fool of herself, she went with her better judgements. That, and she might end up being to nervous to carry them out property, anyway.   

“Hey, uh, guys? We can’t get out until you get moving.” Tucker prompted.

“Oh, yeah, right,” the younger half ghost stammered as she opened her car door, secretly hoping Vlad would stop her.

He didn’t.

Dani climbed out and swung her backpack over her shoulder, seeing the flabbergasted eyes of many teenagers on her. Feeling uncomfortable, she turned back to the mustang, watching Sam and Tucker as they also exited the vehicle. They joined the ghost girl on the sidewalk, and all three them looked at Vlad as he addressed them.

“Well, I must be off. I’ll see you on Thursday, Danielle,” he stated with a calm smile.

“Y-yeah. See you then,” she responded with a meek one, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

Then, just as suddenly as he was there, he was gone, cruising down the street into downtown. The trio followed the car until it was gone from view, and Sam swiftly made his way to the building, with nary a word to his companions.

The girls followed, surprised by Sam’s change in mood.

“What’s up with him?” the techno geek asked.

“No idea,” the half ghost replied. “Maybe he’s still tired?”

“Eh, he’s a goth, so I guess it’s not totally weird for him to be randomly distant.”

“Maybe.”

The trio passed through the front doors, feeling everyone staring at them along the way. As they walked, they heard not so subtle whispers, ones that continued into the school itself. One person uttered: “Did you see the ride Fenton, Foley, and Manson came here in?” Another said: “How’d those dweebs get a lift from a car like that?”, with yet another asking: “You gotta wonder was driving it? Maybe a rich relative of Fenton’s? She was in the front seat, after all.”

But then another voice inquired: “Was it Fenton’s sugar daddy?”

When those words assaulted Dani’s ears, apprehension coursed through her. Would the rumors start to fly again?

Suddenly, the young half ghost felt a pressure on her hand. Gazing down, she found Sam’s hand holding hers in a firm, yet reassuring grip.

“Don’t listen to them,” he muttered. “They’re idiots.”

“O.K.,” she whispered back, feeling a surge of confidence wash away her anxiety.

Tucker offered a determined nod, silently telling her friend the same thing. As the trio sauntered down the hall, they ignored the hushed mumblings and utterances, instead mirroring a group of self-assured athletes heading out to the field.


	2. Chapter 2

The rumors about the trio’s arrival that morning had died down by lunch---apparently the up coming Halloween party Dash was throwing was far more important. Not that Dani, Sam, and Tucker minded, of course. Anything that got them out of the center of attention was alright in their book.

Once the uneventful school day was over, Dani and her friends headed to her place, discussing their plans for the holiday. As expected, the ghost girl was bursting with enthusiasm, forgetting that she was supposed to keep the movie choices a secret until the night of.

Tucker groaned. “Come on, girl! You’re not supposed to tell us!”

“Sorry, I can’t help it! I just can’t wait! It’s gonna be so much fun!”

“Gotta admit, I’m actually looking forward to it even more now, since you told us what we’re watching,” Sam fessed up, smiling and shrugging.

“I guess so; Halloween, The Exorcist, Psycho, House on Haunted Hill, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Birds, **and** The Ring? This Halloween is going to be awesome,” the techno enthusiast stated as she counted each movie with her fingers.

“We’re gonna die,” Sam added matter-of-factly.

“I know!” Tucker replied in excitement.  

“So, you’re going with the classics huh? What was the motivation?” the goth asked, turning to the young heroine.

“I wanted to recover from those awful films Tucker made us sit through,” she teased with a smug grin.

“Hey! They were **supposed** to be bad! That was the theme of the night,” Tucker defended.

“I’m just glad it’s on a Saturday this year; that way we can see them all,” the goth remarked.

“Me too. Why do you think I picked so many?”

Sam chuckled as the three walked into the park, passing by several oak trees and elementary schoolers playing in the playground a few feet away. They seemed to be in the Halloween spirit as well; many of them had face paint adorning their features, making them look like tigers, butterflies, frogs, vampires, and one kid who looked like a zombie. Perhaps their school held some kind of fair?

Dani gazed at the children tenderly. She recalled when she was that young---completely free of responsibilities and complicated emotions, as well as getting to cash in on that sweet trick or treating.

_Cherish this time kids, it’ll be over before you know it._

Then she realized she sounded just like her parents, and then adopted a disgruntled expression.

_Great, 16 going on 40._

As they strolled down the cement walkway, a chilling breeze brushed over their exposed skin, causing all of them to shudder.

“So, what kind of candy should we have?” Tucker inquired, shoving her hands into her oversized hoodie pockets.

“Everything,” the young heroine responded, as if the question was a very silly one.

“Anything’s fine by me, so long as we get some Reese’s,” the goth advised.

“Ooo ooo! And some Milkways and KitKats!” the computer geek added.

“We’re getting all of it, guys,” Dani insisted with a giggle. “I’m going on a drug store run the day before and stocking up.”

“We should get some Hostess stuff too, like last year,” Tucker suggested.

“That was probably the only good thing about last year,” Sam jabbed with a smirk.

The techno geek sighed. “Does nobody appreciate the humor in a good joke anymore?”

“Wanna get some Little Debbie too?” the ghost girl asked.

“Yes!” Sam and Tucker exclaimed in unison. Dani laughed, and soon her friends joined her.

They trekked by a pair of benches, and sitting at one of them was an elderly couple, huddling close together and reading a newspaper. The young heroine’s heart warmed at the sight. This was what every couple should aspire to be; close and content for countless years, forging a bond that’s stronger than steel---one that cannot be broken no matter what life has to throw at you. Given the sweet smiles on their faces, Dani surmised that the two were still very much in love, and still cared about one another deeply. After all, spooning in public didn’t seem to concern them at all. They didn’t care what other people thought of them, but were instead enjoying each other’s company and doing something they both delighted in.

This was what Dani wanted with Vlad. She wanted to be able to sit with him on a park bench and cuddle with him on a cold autumn day. She wanted to go to the movies with him and share of bucket of popcorn, only for their hands to touch accidently in the mound of butter and oil. She wanted to spend a quiet evening with him by a roaring fire, reading a book together or chatting about mundane things.

The girl longed to have something concrete, wholesome, and safe with the older man, but with perhaps a few dollops of the, shall we say, “spicy bits”. What could she say? She **was** a teenager.

All in all, she wanted everything with him, and she knew this was a bit selfish. She shouldn’t be so demanding, considering the things he’s done for her and given her. She also knew that she shouldn’t expect anything either, but that was getting harder and harder to do, ever since that kinda-sorta-maybe kiss. The younger half ghost still wasn’t sure what it meant, or if she was even on the right mark, but her heart blossomed whenever she thought about it. He was so close then, and a part of her regretted not yanking him down and finalizing it. But she knew what she had done instead was the correct call---she didn’t want to scare him away.

Now yards away from the elderly couple, the young heroine eyeballed her friends again.

“So, how do you guys feel if I invite someone else to movie night?”

Both Sam and Tucker looked at the heroine. “Sure, the more the merrier,” Tucker encouraged. “Who?”

“I uh…I was thinking of asking Vlad if he was interested,” the ghost girl replied shyly.

“Yeah! That’d be cool! I bet he’s the kind of guy he says he doesn’t scare easily, but then totally comes unraveled when watching a scary movie.”

“I don’t know about that,” Dani began, scratching the side of her neck. “But I thought it’d be fun to have him over.”

“Doesn’t he still hate your dad?” Sam asked abruptly, sporting a frown.

The raven-haired half ghost blinked in revelation but then furrowed her brow.

“He doesn’t hate my dad. He just…it’s just complicated.”

“It doesn’t seem that complicated to me,” he stated right after Dani uttered her last syllable. “Besides, your dad still doesn’t know that Vlad’s here. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“Well…maybe…But Vlad’s busy all the time. He hasn’t had the time to get in touch with him. His move here was so sudden, after all.”

“And why do you suppose **that** is? Why do you think he packed up and left Wisconsin so quickly?” Sam prodded.

“He said we wanted to be closer to me so that training me would be easier.”

“And you actually **buy** that?!” the rebel exclaimed with fire in his tone, stopping in his tracks.

Tucker and the younger half ghost ceased as well, but in utter shock at their friend’s outburst.

“Whoa dude, chill,” the computer geek appeased, putting her hands up and bringing them back and forth.

“You can’t just stand there and tell me you honestly buy his crap?! Isn’t it super shady to you that he would just up and leave his home so easily? Doesn’t it seem weird that he hasn’t told your dad that he’s now **living** in the same town, and doesn’t it seem extremely strange that he’d offer to get close to you after only knowing you for what, like two days?!”

Dani stood there with an agape mouth and wide eyes. She couldn’t comprehend where this intense frustration came from. The goth looked like he was about ready to punch a wall or start throwing whatever he could get his pale hands on.

“Sam! What the heck, man! Calm down!” Tucker demanded, wariness in her turquoise orbs. “This isn’t like you.”

The rebel balled those pale hands into tight fists, his veins practically popping out of his temple as he did this.

“Don’t you get it?! Something is clearly wrong here! Someone like **that** doesn’t have any interest in someone like **you** unless it’s bad!”

The ghost girl’s shock turned to irritation on a dime. “And what does **that** mean?”

“Can’t you see that Vlad’s bad news?! His interest in you is **beyond** questionable, anyone with two brain cells can see that! His move to Amity Park, him not telling your dad, and the way he looks at you---it’s not right!”

“What, so you think Vlad hasn’t told my dad he’s in Amity Park because he’s trying to **hide** something?”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?! It’s obvious he’s up to something, and **I’m** the only one who can see it!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Dani exploded. “You don’t know him **at all**! You’ve done nothing but crap all over him since you met him, and now you’ve got the nerve to accuse him of having dubious intentions?! Why is it so hard for you to believe that he genuinely cares about me as a fellow half ghost?!”

“How can you just ignore his creepy attitude?! Don’t you remember what he said at his place when we first went over there? When Tucker asked him about ‘The Need’, and he looked **right at you** when he said that he always knew what he wanted? If that wasn’t a hint into his tainted mind, I don’t know what is!”

“ **Excuse me**?” the young heroine questioned with danger in her low tone.

“Guys! Stop, this isn’t worth it!” the computer geek implored desperately.

“Not now, Tucker!” they both yelled.

Dani’s blood was boiling. How **dare** Sam say such things about her kind and supportive mentor! How **dare** he say those things about the man she loved! How **bloody dare** he misconstrue the charming older man’s honorable intentions for unsavory ones!

And what on Earth made Sam think that the billionaire had **any** kind of interest in her in the sexual sense? That was completely impossible---but even if it wasn’t, why should he care? What business was it of Sam’s?

“Why don’t you keep you’re nose out of my business?!” the young half ghost irately proposed. “Since when did I need your approval?!”

“What?” the goth asked in confused exasperation.

“I don’t remember asking for you to approve of the people I keep in my life!” she elaborated…rather loudly. “Vlad’s my mentor, and he’s not going anywhere, so why don’t you just admit how you really feel! Just admit that you don’t like him!”

“FINE! I don’t like him!” Sam complied.

“Then **you** don’t need to be around him! And stop letting your dislike of him cloud your judgement!”

“If anyone’s judgement is clouded, its yours, Dani! You think he can do no wrong? You really think that he’s as pure as you say he is?”

“He hasn’t proved me wrong,” the ghost girl asserted with ice in her tone.

The rebel stopped yelling then. He stared into his friend’s cold baby blues. She looked truly threatening in that moment, paralleling a tiger that was lying in wait, about to pounce and rip its prey to gory shreds.

It didn’t make any sense to the black-clad teenager. Why couldn’t Dani see that Vlad was potentially dangerous? His feelings had nothing to do with this---if anything, his distaste for the older billionaire helped to him see the truth. All he wanted was for her to be safe. Couldn’t she understand that?

“You don’t like Vlad, and that’s one thing. But I will not just stand here and let you bad mouth him, especially when you don’t know him like I do,” Dani decreed with a furrowed brow.

The goth blinked in astonishment. “Do you realize what you sound like? You’re acting like one of those girls on TV---the ones that’re involved with dark and dangerous guys!”

“So what? Just leave him alone,” she warned.

“What, can you not see what’s right in front of you because you **like** him or something?”  

All at once, the young heroine clammed up; her frown remained, but she shut her mouth and hunched her shoulders. She didn’t know what to say anymore. She didn’t want to reveal her true feelings, but for some reason, she didn’t want to lie. Dani felt that if she lied, she would be denying her heart, betraying what she felt inside. She couldn’t bring herself to do that. In the end, her love for Vlad mattered far more than keeping up appearances.

The computer geek glanced at the teenaged half ghost, expecting some kind of dissidence. And Sam did as well, but when no words came, his face morphed into a horrified visage.

“Oh no…don’t tell me…”

Dani gulped, but remained silent. Her heart started to pound and her stomach felt like it was twisting.

For indeed, there was no going back now.

“Dani…you…” Sam stammered.

“You mean, the guy Spectra mentioned was--- **is** \---” Tucker chimed in, only to be cut off.

“But…you can’t! You can’t be…!” the rebel faltered in disbelief, and something else…

“And what if I am?” she mumbled, almost too quietly for them to hear.

“Whoa…So…you’re in love with **Vlad**?” the techno geek inquired, her voice oozing with bafflement and fascination.

The ghost girl looked at Tucker, seeing the odd mix of emotions in her eyes. Then she glanced back at Sam, who resembled one of the members of Loser’s Club encountering Pennywise the Clown.

She had been wondering if this day would ever come. Ever since she discovered her true feelings for the enchanting older man, Dani considered the nerve-wracking outcome of when her friends learned her secret. Though she never intended to tell anybody, the young heroine had a sinking suspicion that they would find out, one way or another. In actuality, she was glad it turned out this way; it was better that she had been the one to reveal the truth, even if it was reluctant. Although, technically, she didn’t **say** anything concrete, Dani supposed this was beside the point.

“Wow…that’s…wow…” Tucker stammered, blinking several times in rapid succession.

“What?” Dani asked, trepidation and angry in her tone.

“It’s just…I didn’t realize…gee Dani, I wish you’d said something sooner,” the computer geek stated while looking her friend in the eye, appearing remorseful.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you’d told me before, then I wouldn’t have been so insensitive.”

“‘Insensitive’?” the young heroine repeated.

“Yeah. You remember: during lunch last Friday. I keep pushing and pushing, not taking into account your feelings. I wish I’d known that this was a very sensitive topic for you, and now that I know Vlad’s the guy you like, it makes complete sense why you wanted us to drop it. I’m sorry for not respecting your feelings then.”

Dani felt some of her former tension slip away. Then a small smile spread across her face.

“Thanks Tuck, that means a lot to me. To tell you the truth, I expected you to laugh at me.”

“And I would have! But I can see that this is really important to you, and this is something pretty serious. Its more than just a crush---you’re **in love** with the guy!”

“Ha ha…yup,” she responded awkwardly.

“But how…?” Sam chimed back in, his violet orbs staring at the sidewalk. “How can you be **in love** with him?”

“You don’t decide to love Sam, it just happens,” Dani enlightened.

Then the boy’s eyes widened again. His mouth dropped open a few inches, and he finally unclenched his fists. Suddenly, everything was clear…excruciatingly so. 

“Holy crap…you’re right…” he muttered, realization leaking from his seemingly small voice. “You’re absolutely right.”

Tucker and Dani eyeballed the goth for a long minute, waiting for an apology or general explanation to his uncharacteristic eruption. Just like the time he was under Ember’s spell, he wasn’t acting like himself, not in the slightest, and now that things had calmed down they were deeply concerned. The young heroine didn’t sense any ghosts nearby, so his bout of aggression wasn’t due to anything supernatural. She also found it hard to believe that he would get so riled up over this just because he disliked Vlad---although, she also had a hard time understanding why Sam disliked Vlad in the first place. Its not as if he did anything to offend him…right?

“Dani,” Sam began, finally looking up into her baby blues. “I think I’m in love with you.”

The girls gaped at the rebel teen, lively eyes wide with surprise and utter shock. A vicious gust of wind blew leaves from the oak trees and incited startled gasps from the children on the play structure. Its touch was colder than death, warranting more blood flow to the cheeks and fingers of those who had them exposed foolishly. Even the elderly couple called it quits; they gathered themselves and disembarked from the bench and jogged out of the park.

The wind was strong enough to rip Tucker’s beanie right off her head, carrying it in the breeze until dropping it on the grass several feet away. The computer geek paused before going after it, looking over her shoulder after she knelt down and picked it up.

This forceful wind still lingered, taking the trio’s hair and making their black tresses flap vigorously in tandem with the swaying tree branches.

“I…I-I…I don’t know what to….” The ghost girl stammered almost incoherently. This couldn’t be. There was no way Sam--- **Sam Manson** \---could have romantic feelings for her. He was always the one who dumped on teen love, saying that it never lasted (which, granted, tended to be true) and swore he wouldn’t have anything to do with the emotion until he found that right person. And that person, in his eyes, was **her**??

What was she to do? What was she to say?

They had been friends forever. The young heroine saw him as amazing partner in ghost fighting, and an even better friend. But that was were the affections ended.

This wasn’t to say she wasn’t flattered, of course. In fact, everything made much more sense now. Sam’s attitude around her, and **especially** his attitude around Vlad. The truth was, the goth was jealous of the eccentric businessman, though in reality, probably had no reason to be jealous.

_I may love Vlad, but that doesn’t mean the feeling’s mutual. This is such a mess---Sam loves me, but I love Vlad, and unfortunately, I can’t return Sam’s affections, and I seriously doubt Vlad will ever return mine. What is this, some kind of Soup Opera? A Telenovela?_

Dani gazed into Sam’s purple orbs, seeing her reflection in them. Instantly, she was reminded of Vlad’s ruby eyes, for she saw herself in them, too. Her heart panged, feeling a tangled web of guilt and longing deep within her very core. She felt horrible that she didn’t feel the same way, but this feeling was amplified by her sudden desire to see the billionaire again. It was wrong for her mind to be on someone else, while one of her dear friends was having an existential crisis of emotion and impending heartbreak. The girl swallowed, and her eyebrows drooped, her baby blues expressing her conflicting thoughts.

“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” Sam asked, trepidation evident in his tone.

“I…I don’t know **what** to say,” Dani gave, looking away from the goth, no longer able to bear her guilty reflection looking back at her.

Tucker rose and walked back over to the ghost girl, clutching her red beanie in her hand.

“Sam…are you sure?” the techno geek inquired. “You’re sure you love Dani?”

“Of course I’m sure. I’m not some flaky teenaged asshole who leads girls along,” he replied coldly. “I’m serious about this. I’m serious about Dani.”

The young half ghost rubbed the back of her neck, trying to keep her body busy since her nerves were on hyperdrive. Though, these nerves were not the fun and exciting ones that sparked whenever she was with Vlad. No, these were the ones that generated from discomfort---whether it be from disgust or guilt, and she felt her stomach twist into a pretzel.

And definitely not the sugar-coated kind.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Sam. I…I can’t return your feelings---”

“I know that, at least for not now,” the rebel began, standing up straight, all his previous inner turmoil seemingly gone. Certainty radiated off him then, as it was quite visible in his features; his brow was relaxed, and his eyes appeared steady.

“W-what?” the young heroine asked.

“You’re too investing in Vlad right now, but I know I can be a better match for you. Besides, he’s older than you, right? So it’s not like anything was going to happen---Vlad may be a creep, but even I doubt that he’d try something. He has a reputation to think of.”

 “I wasn’t expecting anything anyway!” Dani asserted, but the other thing Sam said also rang true. She hadn’t thought about it much, but yes, if Vlad were to miraculously return her affections, the circumstances would be rather tricky. He could never go public with it, and it wasn’t as if she could broadcast it either (not that she would). They would have to keep it a secret until she was at least of age, but even then, they would receive controversy. The tycoon’s credibility would be questioned---as well as his integrity---and the possibility of him losing important assets would be almost inevitable. The ghost girl didn’t know much about the corporate world, but she bet her allowance that he would get some kind of backlash. And this was the last thing she wanted to cause for him.

But, the chances were slim to none that he was in love with her anyway, so the young heroine sighed her anxious thoughts away.

“I know how you feel now, but that can change,” Sam said, reaching out and taking the half ghost’s hand in his. “I can show you that you’re better off forgetting about him.”

She looked down at their hands, and then back up at her friend. Indeed, her heart did belong to someone else, but she doubted her feelings would ever change.

She didn’t want them to.

“I-I’m sorry,” she squeaked. “I don’t want to forget about him. I don’t want to stop loving him. I don’t know if I can.”

“But he’s no good for you!” Sam protested, doing well to levee his temper. “And its impossible.”

“So what? I don’t want to stop, so why should I even try? I don’t care if he **never** acknowledges me, I just want to stay by his side!”

“But what’s the point in being near someone who can’t give you what you need, or what you want?” he questioned with a furrowed brow.

“Maybe there doesn’t need to be a point! Maybe I don’t care if he can’t give me ‘what I need’. Heck, **I** don’t even know what I need!”

“I can tell you,” the goth uttered in a quiet tone, abruptly changing the mood.

The ghost girl’s gaze was fixed on Sam’s orbs again, seeing herself in them once more. Nothing was said for what felt like a very **long** few seconds. Even Tucker, who typically would have jumped in and attempted to calm things down, stayed rooted to her spot next to Dani, gawking at the very strange display before her. For her, it appeared, this situation was about as unexpected as it was to the half ghost heroine.

“You need someone who you share memories with. You need someone who truly understands you; your problems and you as a person. You need someone who can give you a good, fulfilling, carefree **life**.”

“Sam…” Dani murmured. Her friend’s words were laced with tenderness, sweetness. The rebel’s grip was soft, yet firm, and it was incredibly clear to her now that he was very serious. He looked like he wanted to give her the world.

_And he was telling **me** I sounded like someone on TV. _

_But I share some memories with Vlad…maybe not a lot, but they’re there. And he understands me pretty well, since he’s a half ghost too, and if he ever did feel the same, I’m sure he could give me a good life…_

_A life with him…now I don’t know if I can unseen that._

It was already getting difficult to stop expecting anything, and now she couldn’t stop the images from careening into her mind; she pictured them walking down the street, hand in hand, window-shopping. She saw them sitting on top of the biggest hill in town, getting a spectacular view of a blushing sunset. She imagined Vlad standing in the entrance of his house, a warm smile on his face, beckoning her inside.

Then she yanked her hand out of Sam’s grasp. This, naturally, caught the boy off guard. He watched her with careful eyes, worry etched into his brow.

“Dani…”

“I can’t! I know how you feel, **believe** me, but even knowing that, I can’t return your feelings. Its not right, not to either of us! I can’t abandon my own heart, and it would be totally wrong of me to be with you under false pretenses! I’m really sorry, Sam, but my answer is no.”

Yet another breeze flew passed, but this was a gentle one, lightly drifting through the air as it delicately touched the trio’s faces. The chill was there, so all three of them gave a collected shiver, with Tucker shutting her eyes in discomfort.

The goth cast a glance to his boots, something silent but intense building inside. The young heroine turned her head to Tucker, who had reopened her eyes and appeared concerned. When the computer geek had no words, then you knew it was serious.

“So…yeah,” the ghost girl added awkwardly.

Sam didn’t face Dani, but instead moved his gaze slightly to the right, looking at nothing in particular. No doubt her confession had sent him in a state of depression, perhaps even self-loathing. He probably felt foolish. The black-wearing teenager most likely regretted saying anything, or rather, hating his choice of words. Discretion might have served him well in this instance, but he decided to lay out all his cards on the table, only for the absent billionaire to claim a full house. If he thought there was a battle to be won, he had lost it before it had even begun, because the young heroine’s mind was made up.

Dani sympathized. She had imagined what a rejection from the bachelor would look like, and even the very thought sent her spiraling into apprehension and unhappiness. It waited for her in her nightmares, and loomed over her in her darkest moments, but she swore not to humor the idea any longer.

Naturally, this didn’t stop her hyperactive teen brain from trying.

“Uh…so…we still heading to Dani’s?” Tucker inquired cautiously.

“Y-yeah! Come on, we shouldn’t let something like this ruin our day, right?” the young half ghost encouraged. “We’ve gotta discuss Halloween movie night some more, remember? I need to know what other kinds of snacks you want, Sam.”

The goth still did not make eye contact, and remained silent as the grave. It was as if he hadn’t heard them.

“Hey Sam?” the ghost girl asked, trying to get his attention. All she got was a blink.

“Dude? Should we…should we leave you alone?” the techno geek proposed.

Sam looked at Tucker through his eyelashes. “Was I being unreasonable just now?”

“Huh?”

“Did I look like a pushy jerk? Did I remind you of a guy who doesn’t take no for an answer?”

“Uh…not really,” the computer geek stated while pulling her beanie back on, uncertainty radiating from her voice.

“I knew it…”

“What?”

“I didn’t mean to come across like that, but Dani, I just want you to be safe!” he declared as he rose his head and met the heroine’s gaze. “You can have something stable with me. That’s why I don’t get the appeal---Vlad’s a shady dude, and he’ll only cause you problems later on down the line.”

“There you go again!” Dani reprimanded “Why do you keep belittling him like that?! Are you really that jealous of him?!”

“He’s given me a reason to be!”

“Why? ‘Cause he’s a half ghost like me? ‘Caused he’s loaded?”

“Because any moron can see he likes you too! It so obvious!”

“Well ‘any moron’ can see that you’re paranoid! No matter how much may I want him to, Vlad doesn’t love me!” The words stung like Neosporin on a gash as they came out of her mouth.

Where had Sam gotten this idea? From what Dani had seen, the older man had acted fairly normally when the four of them were together. He didn’t show any signs of romantic affections, and certainly didn’t express any intimacy with her.

That is, if you don’t count the kinda-sorta-maybe kiss, which the ghost girl still wasn’t sure if she did or didn’t. 

It was too confusing, and she was much too frustrated at the moment. to figure it out.

“How can you **not** see what’s right in front of you?!” Sam yelled. “Why can’t you see how suspicious he is? Has nothing I said sunk in?”

“It has, and it tells me that you’re envious of Vlad and can’t get over the fact you never stood a chance!” Dani shouted in rebuke.

The goth’s harsh expression faded into one of hurt. His eyebrows rose, and his purple eyes were wide with astonishment.

As soon as the heroine saw his face, her own irritation melted into remorse.

“What I mean is…I was…that is…”

_What the hell was that, Fenton?! How could you say such a thing?! Now Sam feels even worse!_

The boy looked at his feet again and clenched his fists once more, trembling with either sadness or aggravation---or both. His face was cast in shadow, blocking any hints from view. The computer geek looked as stunned as Dani was ashamed, her features adorned with every emotion relating to shock.

“Whoa…” she mumbled.

“Tucker! That’s not what I---I didn’t---”

“I get it,” the goth started, his voice daring to expose the eruption that was about to take place. “You’ve made up your mind, even when its not right.”

“Sam…?” the ghost girl asked in trepidation.

“I just…if only you hadn’t gone to that stupid reunion with your parents…if only you’d never met him…” he muttered.  

“Wha---”

“I just wish you could see the **real** Vlad Masters!”

With that, Sam stormed away, turning his back on his friends and stomping off in the other direction. Dani called out to him, but he did not respond. When she tried to go after him, Tucker stopped her, taking her by the shoulder and shaking her head.

“Best to let him cool off,” she advised.

The young heroine looked back at the disgruntled rebel, seeing his back grow smaller and smaller as the distance between them grew. Dani hoped this wasn’t a manifestation or metaphor for what had just happened; she held in a breath hoping that their relationship hadn’t just taken a nose dive.

She couldn’t bear it if she lost one of her closest friends over a rejection. She knew that Sam wasn’t that petty, but he didn’t seem to take losing to Vlad too well.

_Well, if that isn’t the understatement of the year. Sam has this horrible idea of Vlad, and I have no idea where that came from. Regardless, it’s definitely not a stretch to say that most of his anger comes from me choosing a guy he hates, not necessary the rejection itself._

The techno geek placed a supportive hand on Dani’s back, directing her back to where they were originally going.

“Don’t sweat it too much. Sam’ll get over it. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses in no time.”

“I hope so.”

“Well hey, in the meantime, lets figure out what other goodies we should have on Halloween. Maybe we can find one that Sam really likes,” Tucker recommended.

“Yeah,” Dani replied, feeling a bit more optimistic.

The girls continued on their way and exit the park, leaving the spot of the quarrel far behind. As the wind rustled throw the trees, a faint green mist snaked around the bushes that lined one side of the walkway. It glided low to the ground, hovering at just an inch or two above the cement. Then it rose up like smoke, gracefully morphing into a humanoid shape from the bottom up. A cornflower tail manifested first, with a wide, metallic lavender belt decorating it. The upper body formed quickly after---a green skinned woman appeared wearing a short top that matched her tail, as well as metal bands around her wrist and forearms that matched her belt. She was also embellished with two bracelets on her left hand and one on the right, as well as an elegant choker that coordinated with her other accessories.

Her long flowing midnight hair billowed behind her, even though the winds had ceased, and upon her beguiling face spread a dangerous grin. Her red eyes watched Dani and Tucker as they entered a crosswalk, and then she looked over at Sam, who was yards away. She eyed him as he retreated further and further away from the park.

“Your heart’s desire is my command,” Desiree said coolly.

 

************

 

As the sun rose the next morning, the young heroine rubbed the muck from her eyes and rolled on her side, reading her alarm clock. Though the annoying loud clock told her that it was 6 AM, she had a hard time believing it---she had slept the required 8 hours, but the half ghost’s eye lids felt heavier than cinderblocks. With blurred vision, she stretched her arm out for the digital clock and slammed her palm down on the “off: button, shutting it off.

Then another disrupting sound pierced her eardrums.

Groaning, the ghost girl rolled back around and reached down to the floor, where her jeans from yesterday lay in a heap. Wrestling with the pair of denims, she yanked her cellphone from one of the back pockets. Blinking the blur away---or trying to---the teenager glared at the vibrating device, but none the less, flipped it open, not bothering to see who would be calling her so early.

“Hello…?” she lethargically asked, rubbing one eye. 

“Little badger! It’s so good to hear your voice again,” the caller stated enthusiastically.

Dani nearly fell out of bed. “V-Vlad?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Wha…H-hi!” she responded, a wide smile working its way across her face. Her gut felt tight, but she reveled in the sensation. 

“Hello,” he said in a near whisper.

His voice sent a chill down her spine. “I-I wasn’t expecting you to call me. What time is it over there, anyway?”

“5 in the morning.”

“That’s kinda early, isn’t it?” she inquired, failing to comprehend why he had called her. “Is everything O.K.?”

“I missed you,” he declared, his voice sounding like velvet.

A furious blush broke out on Dani’s cheeks, and her mouth fell agape. Her heart thumped just a bit harder, inspiring the young girl to sit up. Now, she was awake.

“You…you **missed** me?”

“Of course,” he began quietly. “I always miss you when you’re not with me.” 

“Ah…” Numerous questions hit her brain, but she found she couldn’t ask any of them---she didn’t have to ability to.

“You have school today, correct?”

“Uh…yeah…in a couple hours,” she stammered.

“Don’t go.”

“What?” Dani asked, hyperactive thoughts, hormones, and drowsiness doing figure 8’s in her head.

“Come to Colorado. I wanted to hear your voice, but now I have to see you in person.”

“Bu---wh---I----HUH??”

_What’s going on here? Is he actually serious? He sounds serious. Way serious. But there’s no way…I mean, Vlad’s a blunt guy, but this…_

She had dreamed about him saying similar things to her, and sure, she was beyond giddy that he was saying these things now, and in that **voice** , but asking her to join him several states away was definitely strange, especially since it was a school day. The billionaire prioritized her education, and made sure their training sessions didn’t interfere with it. But in asking this of her, wasn’t he contradicting himself? Didn’t he see how weird a thing this was to request? Even if having ghost powers made this easier, its not like she knew how to get to Colorado anyway, and how on Earth would she explain this to her family---her teachers---to Sam and Tucker? She couldn’t just take off on a whim, no matter how tempting it was.

“I…I don’t think I can. I mean, I have to go to school, and---”

“I can take care of all that. You don’t to worry about a thing, my dear,” he assured gently.

“A-and I appreciate that, but I don’t know how I can just leave. I think I have a test in English, anyway.”   

“I have all the influence in the world to make up for one measly test,” he proclaimed, sounding just a tad more insistent. “It’ll be little issue persuading your teacher to let this slide.”

“Obviously you don’t know Mr. Lancer,” the ghost girl remarked with an awkward grin, trying to ease her nerves. The more he pushed, the odder the situation got. Her heart was telling her to go---or more accurately--- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS?? JUST GO!!!!

But her head told her that something wasn’t right. Vlad wasn’t acting like himself.

“I think Imma havta take a rain check,” she stated with hints of concern, swinging her legs over the side of her bed and touching the chilled floor.

“Danielle, I want to see you.”

She squirmed. His voice massaged her eardrums, while simultaneously stabbing them with ice picks. His tone was warm, low, damn near sultry. The confusion and pleasure it brought her stirred up conflicting thoughts, ones that threatened to drown her.

Ultimately, the young heroine knew that her desire to go was based on hormones, and thus not worth listening to. No good ever came from teens that allowed their hormonal drives to dictate their actions.

But this was different. This wasn’t one of those instances were a teenaged girl is whooed by sa leazebag, who then takes her for a joyride in his bedroom. No, this was Vlad; surely she was in no danger of something like **that** happening? After all, he didn’t see her that way.

And she waned to see him too.  

“I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t---but maybe I can come over once the school day is over? After school lets out, I can make my way over? Although…I don’t know how to get there.”

“Fret not. There’s a ghost portal in the lab in the basement of my house. You can use yours and exit through mine.”

“But how will I know where to go? The Ghost Zone’s pretty big,” Dani put forth.

“Trust me, everything will be fine,” the charming bachelor reassured.

“I…I guess so,” the heroine conceded. The butterflies intensified, causing a slight cramp in her lower belly. She smiled sweetly into the receiver, fantasizing what was in store for her later.

She tried to keep her thoughts PG 13.

It didn’t work.

“So, how about we---” the tycoon began, but then his voice was somewhat muffled, like he had pulled away from the phone a fraction. “No! I told you to replace the flooring **in the den** with the Brazilian walnut! The **cypress wood** goes in the bedroom!”

Tilting her head, Dani realized that he had to be talking to the maintenance workers. But, did redoing the floors in one’s home really count as “maintenance”?

He also sounded rather miffed.

“Vlad?”

“How many times do I have to tell you people---ugh---I’m sorry, little badger. My patience is wearing thin with these **imbeciles**. It will be much better when you’re here.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she offered, though with uncertainty. Vlad was the kind of person who didn’t take too kindly to people wasting his time, and he **did** expect perfection.

_Those poor worker guys._

“So anyway, I’ll see you later then?” the young heroine said as she stood up and stretched one arm in the air, twisting her wrist around until the bone cracked.

A pause on the other end made Dani worry, but then Vlad responded: “Must you go so soon? We haven’t been talking long,” he inquired in disappointment, yet his tone was perfectly content. Or at least, it sounded like it. 

“I uh…I have to get ready for class,” the younger half ghost explicated while she walked over to a mound of laundry in the corner of her room. Like many other kids her age, Dani did not simply put her clothes away properly; instead of hanging them in the closet or folding them into drawers, the raven-haired 16-year-old tossed them across the room in the least dusty space possible, and picked out her outfits for the day from whatever pile they happened to make.

Looking over the heap in front of her, she grabbed a long-sleeved, rose-pink turtleneck sweater, one that hung on her like a drape. It was fluffy, feeling akin of a cat’s satiny fur, so she hugged it before chucking it over to her bed.

When her eyes wandered back to the pile, her mentor’s voice came through the phone again: “Getting dressed up for me?” he asked suggestively.

She nearly dropped the phone.

Hearing the guy she loved saying that into her ear was more than she could bear.

And she still hadn’t had her morning coffee!

_O.K., I don’t drink coffee, but STILL!_

Although the weird thing was---Vlad wasn’t wrong. Dani wanted to look cute for him, so she took one of the most endearing garments she owned. That and, she genuinely liked the sweater.

Shaking her head in a futile attempt to rid herself of her flushed features, the ghost girl bent down and grabbed a pair of thick black leggings, quickly shooting a look at the many pairs of jeans that littered her floor.

“I’m honored, little badger,” the pompous billionaire purred.

“U-uh huh,” was all she could give in reply. How was she supposed to respond to this?!

Dani took a few steps to the right and snatched a single pair of jeans off the ground. It was blue and acid stained, giving it the illusion of having a cloud print plastered all over. She nodded, thinking they could go well with the sweater, and tossed them over to the bed right next to the fluffy garment.

“I’m greatly anticipating your arrival, my dear. I hope to---”

“Dani! Breakfast is ready! Come downstairs!” Maddie called from somewhere outside the young heroine’s door.

The poor thing was so startled she **actually** dropped her phone. She swiftly scooped it back up and yelled to her mother: “Yeah! Coming!”

She heard a dark chuckle on the other end, though wasn’t sure she got the joke.

“Hey, I gotta go. My parents have a strict ‘no phone’ policy at the table.”

“But I---”

“Dani! Come on! We’re waiting on you!” Jack requested with much insistence. Rule number 1 in the Fenton household: never make dad wait on breakfast.

“Danielle---”

“Sorry, but I have to go. I’ll talk to you later!”

“Danielle---!”

She flipped her phone shut. Guilt replaced the blood in her veins, and she frowned at her socks. She hated having to hang up on the businessman, but she had learned her lesson about making her father wait for her in the mornings.

Especially if pancakes were involved.

The peppy teenager yanked off her white laced camisole, standing in her underwear as she slapped her pants on and pulled the sweater over her head, deciding to worry about her bed head and school supplies later.

She fast walked to the door when her phone sang once again. She had slipped it into her back pocket, so she reached back and pulled it out, holding it to her face as she inspected the caller ID on the small pixelated screen on the front of the phone.

It was Vlad again.

“What the heck?”

Although she more that a bit giddy, she had to question this; she had to wonder why he was calling back literally half a minute after she hung up. Was he mad? Was he going to lecture her?

With a sigh, she flipped her phone open again, but did not accept the call. She had **also** learned her lesson about talking and/or texting at the table.

She could still remember the shouting.

Shuddering, she switched her phone to vibrate, and let the call go to voicemail. She immediately felt guilty, amplifying the guilt that was already there. None the less, she exited her room and trekked downstairs, finding her parents and Jazz in the kitchen with plates of French Toast.

“There you are, kiddo!” Jack announced boisterously.

“Yup, here I am,” she mumbled while offering a timid smile.

“You look very nice today, sweetie,” Maddie noted. “Though you could brush your hair.”

“Yeah I know,” Dani addressed, sitting down next to her older sister. “It’s just you guys wanted me down her **so quickly** , that I didn’t have time.”

“Sorry, ‘bout that, but you know we’re trying to eat more together as a family,” the rotund father of two enlightened. “I was Jazz’s idea, after all.”

“Yes, and I think it’s a good idea,” Maddie praised. “Heaven knows your father and I work too much as it is. We could benefit from some more family time.”

Though Dani **did** agree with this, she was a bit sore that her call with Vlad got interrupted by one of Jazz’s schemes. Whether the older teen knew this or not wasn’t the issue, so the ghost girl shot her a glare, which earned her a confused expression back.

“So, Dani, any reason you’re dressed so differently today?” Maddie inquired.

“Huh?”

“I have to agree,” Jazz started, eyeing her sister. “You look more put together.”

“Well, I can’t exactly wear only a t-shirt when it’s cold,” she offered in a grumpy tone as she cut up her serving of French Toast. “And I wore a sweater yesterday, so what’s the big deal?”

“It’s just, you didn’t used to let the cold weather stop you from always wearing your go-to outfit,” the mother of two pointed out.

“Maybe I’m changing things up a bit.”

Maddie and Jazz watched Dani as she ate a forkful of toast, not caring to elaborate further.

Then realization struck Maddie, showing in her matured features. “Ohhhh, I see; there’s a boy.”

The young heroine burst into a coughing fit, choking on her food until she spit it into her napkin.

“Oh yeah, I guess you’d want to start looking nice for the guy you---” Jazz began, only to stop when she saw the look in her younger sister’s eyes. The redhead gave her a sympathetic expression, showing her shame without having to say anything.

“Guy? What guy?” Jack chimed in, having just swallowed a mouthful of powdered toast, bananas, and syrup. His eyes were firm and his body rigid, casting a skepical aura.

“So, you have a crush on a boy!” Maddie enthused, reaching across the round kitchen table to hug her youngest. The girl flinched at the contact, trying to weasel herself out of her mother’s gushing arms.

“There’s a boy you like at school?” Jack questioned. “Is he a ghost?”

“No! No, he’s not a ghost,” the heroine proclaimed, knowing full well that his was a half-truth.

“For goodness sake, Jack, not everyone outside this house is a ghost,” Maddie scolded, rolling her eyes and sitting back down.

“Can never be too sure. Better use the Fenton Ghost Detector, just to be safe,” the man thought out loud as he brought a fist to his chin.

“That’s not necessary!” Dani stated with apprehension.

“Well, no ghost boy is going to lay a linger on my little girl. He’ll have to get through me, first.”

“And that’s real sweet dad, but you don’t to worry about that,” she persisted.

_But there is **another** thing that you may be considered about. _

“So, Dani, who is this boy?” Maddie asked with interest before eating a piece of her toast with a couple sliced strawberries.

“Uhhh…” There was **no way in hell** she was going to tell them. Even Jazz.

_I didn’t want **anybody** to know, so just because Tucker and Sam know doesn’t mean I’ll tell Jazz. Besides, I’ll probably get worse from her than I did from Sam._

“Yes, what’s this kid like? I’ll need to know these things if he’s going to take over the family business,” Jack explained with a wide and toothy smile.

“Dad!” the half ghost exclaimed. Now she was going to end up imagine herself marrying the older business tycoon.

That would be an awkward wedding.

But it was a sweet thought, none the less.

_Not the point!_

Then she felt her phone vibrate again. And it didn’t stop.

She moaned under her breath.

“Is he in your grade?” Maddie asked.

“N-no…”

“Oh, an upper-classmen, eh?” Jack conjected with enthusiasm.

“You could say that,” the 16-year-old murmured.

“Is it someone I know?” Jazz inquired. “I could put in a good word for you.”

“No way!”

Even if Dani liked a boy in Jazz’s grade, she wouldn’t want her “help”. Didn’t matter how close they were now---it was still too embarrassing and way too personal. And the potential of the older teen to screwi it up for her was much larger than any pay off.

“What’s his name? Is he cute?” Maddie pushed, and only in the way a mother could.

“Mom!”

_Can we just stop talking about this please?!?!_

By now the phone had stopped vibrating, and the younger half ghost relaxed her shoulders and slumped in her chair. The day had barely begun, but she had a feeling it was going to be a long one.

 

**********

 

The ghost girl had been able to escape further interrogation from her parents at home, but on the way to school, Jazz had grilled her for answers. The redhead offered to give her sister a lift to school, and it was either that, or freeze to death on the walk over. She would take the irritating questions.

Once on campus, however, the inquisitive older teen continued her barrage, asking whether or not the person she liked was indeed a senior. Naturally, Dani could tell her sister was having doubts, seeing as the young heroine didn’t pay attention to boys around her own age. Moreover, her lack of answers provided more evidence to this theory. But what was she to do? If she lied, Jazz would attempt to track the make-believe boy down with the intent of being the perfect hype man---or sister, in this case.

The 18-year-old even followed her to her locker.

Dani stuffed her books for later classes into the locker, along with the black hoodie she wore during the care ride over. When she saw her reflection in Sidney’s mirror, she straightened out her hair and fixed the collar of her turtleneck.

“All I’m saying is---if the guy Spectra mentioned actually does go to school here, you’re not being very convincing.”

The heroine eyed her sister in the looking glass. “So what’s your point?”

“You’re not in love with a teacher, are you?” Jazz questioned with a disgruntled expression.

“God, no!” Dani exclaimed in disgust and frustration, though it wouldn’t be the first time. Back in sixth grade, the young girl had a math and science teacher that couldn’t have been older than 35, and he was image of perfection; chiseled jaw, high cheek bones, chocolatey brown eyes, tall and broad. He was caring, patience with his students, and somehow managed to make math fun. Though Dani couldn’t remember his name, she recalled the pearly white smile that had cheered her up so many times. In fact, when she fought with Tucker over a video game, this teacher had pulled her aside and assured her that their friendship was solid, built on a foundation of trust and mutual fondness, and that nothing could ruin it.

She smiled fondly at the memory.

“Look Dani, you don’t have to tell me, I know how close you keep your secrets, but if you ever need to talk to someone about it, you know where to find me,” the redhead encouraged, ruffling her sister’s hair.

After Jazz left, the ghost girl closed her locker and headed to class, her anxiety building with every step. She hadn’t spoken to Sam since their confrontation the day before, and she feared how things were going to go. She couldn’t live with herself it their friendship ended, or if the goth felt so heartbroken or scorned that he would cut all ties. But he was loyal, considerate, if even to a fault, and above all, a great friend, so a part of the young heroine doubted she had anything to worry about in that department. However, where emotional scars were concerned, the jury was out on that one. The boy might as well have had his heart ripped out and stomped on, and then spat on for good measure. He had just realized his own feelings, only to get shot down in flames, and in favor of a guy he hated for some reason!

And she shared all her classes with the rebel---besides gym---so there’s no escaping this.

She groaned.

Their friendship had hit snags before; the usual fights over studying versus playtime, general arguments over who was right and who was wrong regarding certain issues, and even fights over seriously foolish things. Nevertheless, this was something different all together. This was much bigger than any of those seemingly unimportant disagreements. This was what one may call, a “mature” issue.

The young half ghost shouldered open the door to her History class, laying her baby blue orbs right on Sam, who had looked up when she walked in.

Because, of course.

Her face went red, and she casted her eyes down, immediately making her way to her desk. She sat, staring intently at the wooden finish of the table top. As more students filed in, Dani gingerly glanced up at Sam, who sat in the row to her right, one seat up from hers. The rebel was doodling on a piece of loose leaf, looking generally unimpressed. He rested his right cheek on in his palm, thereby scribbling with his left hand. He blinked sluggishly, proving he hadn’t gotten much sleep.

_Was that because of me, or am I being self-centered? I think I’d rather be self-centered._

Dani didn’t want to think that one of her best friends had lost sleep over the whole rejection. She felt truly horrible, downright dreadful because of how she’d handled the situation, and wished she’d been a bit more tactful, delicate. She also sympathized, for the younger half ghost knew how it felt to yearn for someone’s affections. It was an all-consuming feeling, one strong enough to make you forget everything else. Or maybe that was just love in general? In any case, she understood Sam, but couldn’t respond in kind. There was only one person for her, and Kitty helped make that quite clear.

Tucker entered the room, catching Dani in her sights. She smiled and waved, before her gaze wandered to Sam, and then her lips folded, and her eyebrows drooped. Her hand hang absently in the air until a group of cheerleaders shoved the computer geek out the way, nearly knocking her to the floor. Instinctually, Dani rose, catching the rebel’s attention. He looked at her, and then followed her line of sight until he saw Tucker crotched on the ground. The techno enthusiast’s face was more startled than pained, so she quickly stood up and laughed nervously. She fast walked to her seat next to Dani (behind Sam) and offered another smile. The ghost girl returned the friendly expression, only for her eyes to make contact with Sam’s. The boy flinched and turned forward, going back to doodling.

The heroine felt a hurtful pang in her chest.

If only she could turn back the clock, then she could amend what she had said to him. She wished she’d been a little more considerate and had not gotten so riled up. Dani was angry, irrational, thus affecting the delivery of her words. Though some would interpret her response as understandable, maybe even justified, the young heroine regretted her rebuke.

After History ended, Dani noticed Sam rise from his seat and hastily leave the classroom. He didn’t give her or Tucker the chance to catch up, practically gliding out the door.

The computer geek saw, and in reply, frowned. “Grouchy, much?”

“I don’t blame him.”

Tucker sighed and left the room with Dani, walking down the hall to their next class.

“He can’t stay mad at you, forever. Besides, the stuff he said about Vlad was **way** out of line.”

“I know, but…not only did I rip his heart out, I treated him like a jerk.”

“Girl, you can’t help how Sam feelings. You don’t owe him anything. Your heart is already filled with someone else,” the geek said with a serious, yet comforting expression.

“I know. I just…I just feel bad,” the ghost girl confessed, holding her books close to her chest.

The girls trekked through the corridor until they reached their advanced algebra classroom, all the while discussing the goth’s out of the blue confession, as well as how to handle the situation going forward. Tucker proposed they let Sam figure out his own issues, leaving him be for the time being. Dani wasn’t sure how she felt about this plan, but if the boy was going to ignore them anyway, what was the harm?

 

*********

 

The rest of the day went as Dani expected---Sam avoided her and Tucker throughout their shared classes, didn’t sit with them during homeroom, and was no where to be seen at lunch. Even in a packed cafeteria, the goth wasn’t hard to spot, but his head-to-toe “I’m an individual and no one gets me” aesthetic was absent from the lively space. The techno geek, who appeared to be fed up with the rebel’s distant attitude, had rolled her eyes and eat her lunch as if nothing was wrong.

Now standing at her locker, the ghost girl spoke not a word as she stuffed her textbooks into her backpack, listening as Tucker regaled her with the news about the latest video game in their favorite franchise. But the young half ghost didn’t pay too much attention; she was preoccupied with Sam’s treatment of her, as well as going to see the billionaire in Colorado. Because of the goth’s lack of involvement, however, she couldn’t anticipate her visit with all her heart. In fact, most of the day her mind was fixating over the whole ordeal. It wasn’t until her second to last class that the young heroine finally thought about her impromptu trip.

She hadn’t even told anybody yet. Would she have to?

_I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Since its’ s a school night, I don’t think I’ll be there long._

Dani placed her hand on the locker door, intending to close it, but then caught her reflection in the mirror. A faint ghostly smile was hovering over her upper lip, its transparent shape almost blending in with her mouth. Then she saw a phantom hand wave at her.

Her face lit up, and she waved back.

Tucker tilted her head. “What’s that?”

“It’s Sidney. He’s saying ‘hi’,” she explained without looking away from the mirror.

“Oh, hey, Sidney!” the geek enthused, leaning over and waving vigorously.

A quiet chuckle emanated from the looking glass, and then the apparitions vanished.

Dani shut her locker then, knowing that her ghostly locker-mate was trying to cheer her up. It was a typical thing of the lovable dweeb to do, seeing as he’d traded his bullying ways for those of a genuine confidant.

“Man, I wish I had an otherworldly guardian like that,” Tucker admitted as they ventured down the hall.

“What do you mean, like, Sidney’s my bodyguard or something?” the heroine asked while flashing a skeptical grin.  

“Well sure. I mean, the kid’s living in your locker, and he’s always lookin’ out for you, especially after the whole Spectra thing.”

Her grin turned into a smile. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“Although, he doesn’t kick much ass. You said he basically tore his world up, one piece at a time, trying to waste you.”

“He told me that his power is tied to his mirrored world; he created that region of the Ghost Zone, and because of that he can do whatever he wants. But, in the human world, he can’t do the same things he could in his own world.”

“So, he’s essentially powerless here,” the computer geek surmised.

“‘fraid so.”

The girls approached the school’s front doors, only to see a mob of students blocking the exit. They murmured in animated tones, clearly ogling something they deemed intriguing. Curious, Tucker and Dani squeezed their way through the horde, feeling the occasional shove or hip bump.

Once they found their way out, the mid-afternoon sun assaulting their eyes, they saw a very familiar 2005 black mustang parked across from the front steps. Tire markings leading up to the wheels suggested the car was in a hurry, only screeching to a stop at the very last second. It must have just arrived, given who fresh the smell of burning rubber was.

The driver door flew open, and Vlad Masters stepped out, wearing a pair of Armani sunglasses and a plush Versace black scarf, along with the rest of his usual attire, which was protected by a black trench coat---open all the way down the middle. Smirking, he closed his car door and walked toward the school with such poise, you would think he was a super model.

And well…he looked like one.

At least to Dani.

Although, given the awed gasps of everyone around her, the ghost girl believed they might’ve thought the same thing.

He sauntered across the lawn, the grass crunching under his Dolce and Gabbana loafers. As he neared, the young heroine’s heart pounded, elation flooding her brain and causing her eyes to sparkle. With the sun’s pure yellow light shining down on him, the man gleamed; he looked like Lucifer, radiant and beautiful, but also dangerous and enticing. His silver hair glimmered, reminding the teenager of rich strands of silk thread, ones that would be woven into a grand tapestry. His strides were long, elegant (which was easy for him, seeing as he had long legs), and he approached the bottom of the steps in under 30 seconds.

“Hello, Danielle,” he addressed, lifting his head up slightly.

The students turned to the younger half ghost in utter surprise, shock and awe painted all across their features.

“H-hey,” she replied nervously, offering an shy smile.

“Hey Vlad, what’re you doing here?” Tucker inquired, giving a smile of her own.

The billionaire removed his sunglasses, unveiling his enthralling navy eyes. He slipped the expensive shades into an inner pocket of his coat as he responded: “Patience is not something I possess at the moment, Ms. Foley.”

“Huh?”

Dani shrugged her bag unto her shoulder. “But weren’t we supposed to meet up in Colorado?” she asked quietly, hoping none of the other students heard her. What if people started assuming **Vlad** was her “sugar daddy”?

Then rumors would resurface with full force!

“Yes, but I could not wait another second,” he confessed, looking right up into the girl’s baby blues. “I missed you, little badger.”

The ghost girl’s face burned red hot, but it wasn’t just because of the older man’s candor. Tucker cocked her head and gave Dani a look that just screamed: “uh…explanation?”, and the poor thing was so worried that everyone had overheard the pet name. Luckily, it would seem, they hadn’t, given that Vlad had whispered it.

_Still, you can never to be sure---but what was Vlad thinking?!?!?!?! Saying my nickname like that in public! I’m so embarrassed I can’t even look Tucker in the eye!_

So she didn’t; rather, she gazed at her mentor in disbelief and with flustered nerves.

“Come, let’s be off,” he stated, reaching up to Dani with his arm and then lightly touching her with his fingertips.

“Well hold on…” she requested, glancing at Tucker, feeling a surge of embarrassment when she did. After all, she had heard the young heroine’s cute little nickname, the one that she secretly loved.  

“What? It’s Tuesday, dude. You gotta train with him, right?” the techno geek asked in clarification.

“Wha? Uh---yeah! I need to train today!” she spat out anxiously. In truth, when the older half ghost had called her this morning, she had forgotten entirely about the training session, and she hadn’t recalled it all day. She was too preoccupied with other matters.

And then she remembered Sam.

Her gaze roamed around the grounds until catching the retreating form of the goth several yards away.

_Had he seen all this?_

“Hey man, I totally get it. You have things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow, kay?” the computer geek said as she hopped passed Vlad down the steps, turning around only to hear Dani’s reply.

“Uh yeah! See you tomorrow.”

With a nod and smirk---one that said “have fun”---Tucker walked down the sidewalk and away from the campus. Since it wasn’t as cold as it was that morning, the techno geek saw no issue in taking a leisurely walk home.

Without a minute to waste, the businessman gripped his protégé’s arm firmly and led her down the steps and to his car. Dani listened to the mumblings of her peers as she made her exit, suddenly feeling a little more confident. Though the whispers and murmurs were unkind (with many of them asking how she managed to hitch a ride in such a sweet car with such a good lookin’ fella), her spirits weren’t tampered. The young heroine felt almost untouchable, having Vlad at her side. It was as if his very presence ignited the self-assurance deep in her heart.

He released her arm and opened the passenger door, smiling in a border-line sultry manner. Somewhat flustered, Dani thanked the older man and slid inside the luxurious interior. Vlad closed her door and walked around the hood of the car to his, then got in and turned the key in the ignition. The vehicle roared to life, and the billionaire put some weight on the gas, speeding down the street but milliseconds after, leaving the envious crowd of high schoolers in the dust.

Passing through several intersections, the ghost girl witnessed Amity Park wiz by her as they cruised at around 40 miles an hour.

“So how come you didn’t stay in Colorado? I was on my way there, you know.”

“It’s as I told you: I couldn’t wait any longer. I didn’t want to spend another minute away from you.”

Dani turned to Vlad, complete surprise in her eyes. Her stomach doing cartwheels and her heart beating so fast she was sure it would burst. She felt her face heat up again, and elected to stare into her lap, not knowing what to do with herself.

There was no way someone with platonic feelings would admit something like that. Plus, the bachelor’s call this morning; he was acting flirty, wasn’t he? He was being very direct, if nothing else. But who utters a sentence like that if they **weren’t** in love?

_Maybe I’m just misinterpreting things. He could just be messing with me, or being friendly. Friends say that kind of thing to each other, right??_

Then she thought of Sam again. He may say something like that.

The teenager’s eyes bore a sad glow. One of her friends was feeling abandoned, and instead of trying to remedy the situation she was enjoying a car ride with the person who rivaled the boy for her affection? Guilt coursed through her again, zapping away her ecstatically confused mood.

“Danielle?”

The young girl looked up at Vlad, who was eyeing her from the side of his vision.

“Yeah?”

“You’ve gone quiet.”

“Oh…I was just…I feel like a major asshole right now.”

“What? Why?” he asked with much concern and incredulity.     

“Because I was a real jerk to Sam yesterday. He…he confessed something to me---something really important, and I blew him off. At the time, I was so frustrated that I didn’t think straight, and I let that get to me. I said something really harsh, and now Sam won’t even talk to me, not that I blame him, though.”

The mustang breezed through another intersection, just narrowly missing the yellow light.

“I just wish I go back and take back what I said. It was really cruel, and I know it hurt him deeply. Sam’s always thought of my feelings, but I didn’t think about his.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dani noticed the billionaire clutch the stirring wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. She lifted her head to look at him, seeing tense shoulders and folded eyebrows. Though he didn’t give a verbal response, it was pretty clear he was agitated.

“Vlad?”

Suddenly the older man swerved and pulled the car into an alleyway, just a few blocks away from the Nasty Burger. The ghost girl had been thrown into the center console, her seatbelt keeping her mostly in place. After shaking her head to gather herself, she glared at the designated driver.

“What was that for?”

The tycoon turned to her, those navy orbs casting an oppressive gaze. For a moment, she was trapped---Dani remembered the look he’d given her when they first met. That commanding gaze that bewitched her mind and ensnared her senses. And that moment intensified when Vlad abruptly leaned over, placing a hand to her hot cheek while still gripping the wheel with the other.

He was close. Too close.  

The car was much too small, and he was in her personal space without leaning all the way over the center console. It also didn’t help that he was tall, giving him more of an advantage.

“No more,” he ordered, his tone tittering on the edge of dangerous.

“H-huh?”

“No more of Samuel Manson. I will not hear of that brat any longer.”

“S-sam’s not a brat!” she defended. “He’s a good friend, and I really upset him. I…I really let him down.”

The older man’s glare deepened, with his eyes appearing icy, yet fiery at the same time. They possessed a coldness, but with an intense flame burning behind a pair of navy icebergs. It was as if something was building, or maybe something was falling apart.  

“I won’t allow it,” he began, releasing the wheel and latching onto the ghost girl’s other cheek. “I won’t allow anyone to steal you away from me.”

The teenager’s face burned red hot; her youthful face flushing a deep scarlet. That vital organ in her chest was pounding now, resonating in her ears. Her stomach once again fancied itself an Olympic gymnast as it summer salted in her abdomen.

The businessman’s eyes glowed, emitting a blood red light from his irises.

“Never,” he muttered in a low tone, sending a chill down Dani’s spine. Then he started leaning in, minimizing the already miniscule distance between them.     


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long to update! School has started back up for me, and I kept missing crucial points in the chapter, so the next thing I knew it was over a week later and this had over 17,000 words! But since I'm back in school, I don't know how often I'll be updating, but I will try to as much as possible! After all, I feel like I owe you all a sweet union between a certain couple of half ghosts. xD

After Vlad dropped his little badger and her friends off at school, he drove nonchalantly to the airport, where he picked up a private flight to Colorado, taking a helicopter the rest of the way to his house deep in the Rocky Mountains. He loved this house immensely---by far the best investment he’d made in many years. It was a massive log cabin situated on the side of a looming hill, overlooking a grand sea of Engelmann spruce and Lodgepole pine trees below. The windows were expansive; they were tall and wide, offering gorgeous views of the remote scenery and wild life. The house was built with wood and stone, creating a warm and cozy feeling, but without making one feel cramped. For indeed, this home had **plenty** of space. With four bedrooms (with one being used at an office and the other two as an exercise room and guest room respectively), generously sized open concept living room with a vaulted ceiling, three bathrooms, open flow kitchen just off the living room, an elegant dining hall, a full outdoor kitchen with connecting pool and hot tube, and a helipad, this ostentatious forest retreat offered the greatest in luxurious living.

At the moment, however, the house---which was aptly called the Masters house, was anything but the serene and peaceful place it was advertised to be. Carpenters and maintenance workers flooded the masonry and wooden halls like ants in an ant farm. They were starting their second day of work; installing new flooring, seeing to the home’s structural integrity, analyzing the appliances and looking any possible faults, etc. Since the billionaire had not visited the house in a few years, he wanted to make sure it was up to par---he was adamant that the place be perfect for his future stay come winter.

This was the time he loved staying in the cabin. He took great pleasure in sitting by a roaring fire and reading an engaging novel in the evenings, where warm sunlight saturated the environs in a golden light as the snow fell. He enjoyed waking in the morning and seeing white covering the trees and mountains. And above all, he loved the quiet of winter. In fact, when it could be arranged, the older bachelor would spend Christmas in this house, reveling in the solitude and comfort only mother nature could provide.

Despite this, he humored the possibility of breaking this tradition of his; he thought about extending in invitation to Danielle this Christmas. The idea made his heart light, having his dear protégé with him in such a way. He pictured them huddled by the fire, trading stories and sharing hot beverages. He imagined them watching Christmas movies in the basement media room, snuggling under a cozy blanket. He also saw himself cooking a meal for the two of them as she watched, smiling in anticipation and just being her usual adorable self.

Of course, the vision he loved most of all was them together, in bed, doing….stuff.

Vlad sighed to himself, sporting a dreamy grin. He knew that this entire fantasy might not come to fruition, seeing as Dani had a family to spend the holiday with, but he could dream.

And boy did he.

The older man stood in the main hall of his house, watching the coming and going of the workers as they started with the day’s labor. He was aware that it was almost 5 in the morning, but he wanted this job done as soon as possible. The billionaire held his arms behind his back, radiating an aura of pure gravitas. None of the men dared to question his directions or give suggestions---not that Vlad needed them to begin with. They were all intimidated by his presence, but also respected him as a genius businessman. In fact, many of them had friends and family that were employed at his many companies, and regarded Vlad Masters as a strict, but fair proprietor. Though he could be demanding and down right unreasonable at times, he kept his word and paid well. Although, these workers sometimes wished that they worked at one of his businesses, and had not been personally hired by him to carry out a job.

Even though the pompous billionaire berated and belittled them when he did not approve of something, he was actually holding back quite a bit. Of course, he did this with everyone; the man had a darker nature, to be sure, and often struggled keeping it in check. In all honesty, Vlad’s intolerance was tied to the stupidity of others, and in his eyes, almost everyone around him was an idiot, constantly trying his patience. Everyone was inferior, though some were more useful than others, and for those that didn’t make fools of themselves too much, he would grant them permission to be in his presence.

Such was case here, but a good number of the men were doing things that, for Vlad, were spiritual taxing to deal with. For instance, the day before, some of the carpenters ended up installing the wrong flooring in the bathrooms, instead putting in the tile that was to be used in the kitchen.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, the fire building in his gut at the mere memory of the mistake.

Though the error had been rectified, it still peeved him so.

The silver-haired billionaire shook his head and trekked up an immaculate flight of Douglas Fir stairs. Upon reached the second floor, he walked to his office located near the end of the hall, being the only door right next to the bedroom’s own. He entered and plopped himself down in a black desk chair, one that resembled his chair back in Amity Park.

This room was much smaller than his other office, as it was meant to be a children’s bedroom, but the space worked just fine. A single bookcase resided on the right wall, and on the adjacent wall sat photos of the beautiful mountain range---taken by Vlad himself, attached to a corkboard that hung above a red couch. On the same wall, in the center, was a giant painting of a Grizzly bear and her cub, dwarfed by epic trees and mountains around them.

Vlad elected to busy himself with work related matters, figuring it be best if he stayed on top of his obligatory reports and emails so as to not fall behind. He’d been making good strides in Amity Park, but he was still a long way from being relieved.

He did not regret his move for even a second, however. Being able to see his little badger on a regular basis was worth the tedious workload, and he would do it all over again without hesitation.

Suddenly, a chill went up his spine---a telltale sign that a ghostly presence was in the vicinity. His navy orbs darted up from his desk, and right before his very eyes hovered Desiree, a cunning smirk on her captivating face.

Not that he would say so. He could think of a girl who’s face was far more enticing.

“ **Desiree** ; the wish granting ghost. What are you doing here?” the tycoon questioned, furrowing his brow.

“Ahh, so you know of my infamous reputation? Quite impressive, for a mere mortal,” she remarked.

“I make it my business to know all possible threats to me.”

“I see,” she began, crossing her arms and bringing a hand to her chin. “So might you have intrigues in the Ghost Zone? How interesting. Are you a ghost hunter by vocation?”

“Hmph, no,” he stated with a smirk. “I’m but a simple businessman who happens to have vested interests in your impressive world.”

“Indeed,” she said, her eyes watching him closely.

“Now then, as we are on the subject of business,” the billionaire started, rising from his seat and facing his visitor directly. “What is **yours** with me?”

“Surely its not difficult,” she surmised, crossing her arms fully. “I am here to fulfill a wish.”

He barked. “I have no wish. Anything I can wish for, I can obtain of my own volition.”

Desiree’s smirked deepened, making her appear menacing. “Silly human. It is not a wish of **yours** I am here to satisfy.” She lifted her arms up, holding her feminine hands down at Vlad. Her red eyes glowed, and all around the older man, green smoke started to appear. His gaze followed the supernatural substance as it crept up his broad form, emitted neither a scent or sensation. Narrowing his eyes, he moved his leg, intending to escape, but found he was restricted in his movement. The weightless mist acted like chains, binding him to the spot in which he stood.

“What is this?” he interrogated, annoyance, and perhaps hints of panic, lacing his words.

The ghostly wish granter only laughed in reply as the smoke rose further, and quickly the immediate area was engulfed in it---his desk, his chair, and a part of the Persian rug. Vlad’s mind started racing, trying to formulate a means of escape. It wafted up his chest and arms, and when it passed by his heart, the organ began beating out of control. He wasn’t sure why, seeing as he wasn’t frightened by the situation. But he quickly realized he was experiencing something very familiar---but his revelation didn’t occur until the smoke completely overcame him. It was as if the strange mist was agitating his desires, reviving the fire in his core when he was around his dear one. He felt exactly like he did when the young heroine was near---desperate and yearning to touch her. Thoughts and desires bubbled to the surface, clawing their way into his senses and invading every corner of his brain.

_What’s happening?! I feel my self-restraint leaving me! My meticulously constructed discipline is fading away!!_

The older half ghost closed his eyes, trying to keep himself together. Powerful impulses sparked in his mind, causing nerve reactions to ignite his body. He wanted to be with Dani---he **needed** to be with Dani. He needed to touch her, hold her, caress her, kiss her…

He had experienced something similar to this as well, but it was excruciatingly painful. Once in a while, Vlad would feel a burning passion in his body, one that would generate an actual burning sensation. It were as if his muscles and skin were on fire, his bones melting away. The older man couldn’t comprehend the agonizing pain, until he saw a pattern; he found that he went through this if he hadn’t been with his little badger for a time. However, even now, he was still in the dark as it how it started and why.

But he knew one thing, the pain was connected to his feelings for her, and now it seemed Desiree’s power had instilled the longing, but not the physical anguish.

He felt like he was going mad. The eccentric bachelor grabbed his head and clutched his hair.

_I must hold fast! By the Ghost Zone, I will **not** give in to this!! _

Desiree laughed again, sounding so distant. He could still feel her presence in the room, but it seemed so far away. He growled, digging his nails into his scalp. He clenched his teeth and bent over slightly, attempting to maintain what little self-control he had left. At the moment, almost nothing was stopping him from transforming and flying all the way back to Amity Park.

_No! I cannot allow this! I have to fight it! Its still too soon, Danielle’s not---_

His own inner dialogue was interrupted by an overwhelming instinct that careened into his sub conscious.

The green mist vanished then, taking with it the remnants of Vlad’s iron-forged willpower.

 

**********

 

At first, he thought hearing her voice would be enough. He called her, silently yearning for her dulcet tones to massage his eardrums. Once he heard it, however, the urge to see her was overpowering. He couldn’t be without her, not for another minute, so he transformed into Vlad Plasmius and flew all the way back to the Amity Park’s airport, making it there in just under five hours. He was always quite proud of his speed. It would take one more hour to drive back to Casper High, but even in his manic state of mind, Vlad still maintained his self-respect. He knew that he shouldn’t go bursting into Dani’s school as a ghost---he didn’t care that he would scare the crap out of the student body and the faculty---rather, he wanted to make sure his little badger wasn’t scared or concerned. The older man didn’t want the younger half ghost to worry that something might be wrong.   

Upon arrival, he overshadowed a man in charge of the extended parking and riffled through his memories to find where he had put the keys to his mustang. After locating them, he exited the poor guy and zipped to his vehicle, phasing inside once he reached it. He put the key in the ignition and sped out of the garage, only transforming back when he realized he should.

Since it was very cold in Colorado, when Vlad transformed back he was wearing his favorite trench coat and scarf.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, so the tycoon squinted, and reached for his sunglasses in the visor above him. He then continued the rest of the drive in bliss, greatly anticipating seeing his dear girl, his adorable little badger.

But his jubilation came to an abrupt end when said badger mentioned the name of a certain idealistic teenager.

Now he was here, holding Dani’s face in his hands, feeling jealous and possessive. He had to show her who she belonged to---he had to show **Samuel Manson** who she belonged to. The older man wanted to show his protégé who was truly the better man, who she should **really** be focusing on. He was tired to playing the patient gentleman, and thanks to Desiree, he no longer had that pesky self-restraint, which he now realized had been holding him back.

The enchanting, yet dangerous older man was inches from her lips, just milliseconds from finally tasting her. For the last month, he had dreamed about what she would taste like; maybe soda and starburst? Or perhaps sweet cream?

Either way, he was going to find out, and nothing was going to stop him. Not anymore.

Dani had also fantasized about the same thing, often imagining all the different flavors Vlad’s mouth might exhume. She was definitely aroused too, seeing her mentor act in such a forward way, but it also scared her. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening---for the longest time, she was so sure the man had no romantic feelings for her, but with this, and the kinda-sorta-maybe kiss, she was more confused than ever. Part of her thought she was still reading him wrong somehow, but how could she be? Given how close he was, how low is voice, there was no way this was something platonic…right?

Should she allow this? Should she wait and see what was about to occur?

The young heroine swallowed and clutched the fabric of her sweater with both fists, feeling the fluff tickle her fingers as well as her palm. She noticed the bachelor’s eyes slide shut as his moist lips ghosted hers, causing her heart to skip a beat.

_H-he’s really gonna do it…_

Then her ghost sense went off.

The cold wisp of energy left a chilled touch on Vlad’s mouth, causing him to pull back. He rose an eyebrow and lowered his hands to her arms.

“T-there’s a ghost…n-nearby,” the ghost girl stammered, wide eyed and red.

“So?” he offered in reply.

Even though he wasn’t inches away from her face anymore, he was still close enough to make the girl look away. She suddenly felt grateful that his gaze wasn’t quite as commanding anymore.

“I-I need to go---to stop it, I mean,” she said nervously, staring at the mustang’s clutch.

“No,” he affirmed. “Let your parents handle it.”

“I can’t do that,” she murmured.

“Why?”

“Because I have a responsibility,” the younger half ghost stated, her eyes wandering to the corner of her seat.

“And who delegated this ‘responsibility’ to you?” he asked. “Who is forcing you to chase ghosts back into the Ghost Zone?”

“N-no one,” she responded, looking at her lap. “We just thought that these powers should be used for the good of others, and these ghosts are---”

“Who’s ‘we’?” the billionaire questioned, narrowing his eyes.

“M-my friends and I…” Now she was getting worried. Her mentor seemed to lack any concern for the citizens of Amity Park, which contradicted his actions during their fight with Ember. He was also short of temper, like any minute **she** would be on the receiving end of one of his infamous outbursts. All this time, he had been nothing but kind to her, but this was the first time she left truly scared of him.

“You mean, **Samuel Manson** , correct?”

She did not answer.

The memory of his expression when he’d come to save her from Sidney Poindexter popped into her mind, and her fear skyrocketed. She had no doubt then that Vlad was capable of frightening things, maybe even despicable things.

Then she remembered Sam’s warning: “ _That’s why I don’t get the appeal---Vlad’s a shady dude, and he’ll only cause you problems later on down the line_.”

Was he really a bad person? No, Dani refused to believe that. He was a bit a hard ass to some, sure, but he was nothing but considerate and patient with her. Maybe she was different? Did he not act that way with others? Was it just her? Had he only tolerated the presence of her friends? Did he only get involved with Ember because she had endangered **her**?

Maybe he never had any regard for the victims of Ember’s influence.

Maybe he didn’t care about the world being in danger.

Maybe he only helped out because he was worried about **her**.

But what did that say about him? It was flattering, but also concerning. If Vlad truly held no regard for others but her, this could be a major problem. This would mean that he didn’t care about other people, and only got involved with Ember for Dani’s own benefit, and not for those of her victims across the planet. It would also mean that he didn’t see the lives of other people as important, or relevant. He only saw **her** as such; however, this little train of thought led the young heroine to another disconcerting one: if this was the case, then what was she to him, exactly?    

Was Sam right after all? Were Vlad’s intentions really dubious?

No, she didn’t want to believe that either.

“Danielle,” the tycoon began, low voice and all. “Nothing is going to take you from me, understand? I will protect you with my life, and care for you until the day I die.”

She stared at him, feeling the mix of worry, fear, and compassion form a massive tornado of feelings in her stomach, inciting a slight ache. But as those words resonated in her mind, the compassion ended up overriding the other two.

Tears licked at her eyes as her cheeks maintained their flush.

If that wasn’t a declaration of love, she didn’t know what was.

Her heart overflowed, commanding her voice to give the appropriate reply.

“V-vlad…I lo---”

A loud screamed emanated overhead, as if flying above the mustang, and sailed away into the distance. The cry made the younger half ghost gasp, and she looked up at the roof of the car. The person sounded terrified, wailing out of their mind in such a manner.

Then she remembered that her ghost sense had gone off mere moments ago.

“Something’s happening,” she started, still looking up. “I have to go.”

“Danielle, don’t---”

Twin white rings apparated at Dani’s abdomen and transformed her into her ghost form. Without looking at her mentor, she turned intangible and flew out of the car. She soared into the air, until she was above the roofs of the alleyway. Narrowing her eyes, she made out the retreating shape of a car zipping across the sky, along with the still wailing passenger. Focus razor sharp, she rocketed towards the flying automobile, pulling up the driver side window and seeing what looked like a surfer dude (if the surf board hanging out in the backseat was any indicator) with long blonde air and horrified green eyes.

It looked like a ghost was playing a trick, but none the less this person was in danger. Should the ghost decide they were bored and drop the car, then the driver (and anyone on the ground) would require serious medical attention.

And maybe someone to write their obituaries.

“Hey! What happened? You’re exceeding the speed limit---and the **height** limit!”

The guy had turned to her when she approached his window, but now he was screaming again.

_Oh right---ghost._

The teenager phased into the car and took a seat on the passenger’s side. She seized the wheel (since the driver had apparently given up on trying to stir it, which was understandable), and made a harsh left, attempting to angle the car back down to the ground. Unfortunately, this took the airborne vehicle into the path of a rather tall skyscraper.

The guy cried out, and shielded his eyes. The half ghost heroine ordered him to slam on the brakes, but he responded with: “I can’t dudette! The brakes are like, totally out!”

She glanced down at the pedals, and saw that his feet weren’t even on them.

“Then what the heck is moving this car?!”

In her mind, she conjected that the ghost she sensed earlier had full control over the red car and was playing with it like a remote controlled Hot Wheel.

As the tower neared, she strained, turned intangible and thus turning the entire vehicle intangible. They sailed through the building, no doubt startling anyone who saw.

They came out the other end, and the teenager sighed in relief as she returned the car tangible again, as well as herself.

“There’s got to be a way to get this car back on the ground,” she thought out loud. “How did this happen, anyway?”

“I was stuck in some seriously crummy traffic, and like, I just wanted to get out of it, man! But I didn’t want **this**!”

“But how did **this** happen?”

“I don’t know, man! I just wished that I could fly over the jam instead of being stuck where I was!”

“Wait, what?”

_He “wished” that he could---oh no…don’t tell me!_

Apprehension hit her like a brick wall. The only ghost that was capable of granting something like this was Desiree, but she was supposed to be locked in the Ghost Zone. The young girl had performed the act herself; she’d extracted Desiree from the Thermos and flushed her into the Ghost Zone via the ghost portal. There was no way she could have gotten free!

Unless…

The control panel for the ghost portal doors was damaged, but they seemed to work at the time.

But if Desiree was loose, then that had to mean that the portal was compromised in some way. Perhaps she was set free when Dani’s back was turned? Did she not notice?

Then she recalled going out to dinner with Tucker and Sam.

“Breakfast for dinner”.

She let out an aggravated groan.

Turning the wheel sharply to the right, the young heroine took the car in the direction of an empty parking lot, hoping to find a way to land the thing without hurting anyone.

“Danielle!”

The girl gasped and looked out the car’s back window, seeing Plasmius closing in.

_Oh no._

He phased right through the car and into the back seat, a cold glare painted on his face.

“You left me.”

“I-I’m sorry! I had to! I have to stop this thing!”

Suddenly the red vehicle rolled upward, performing a large loop-de-loop in the air. The completely random stunt tossed the young heroine into the back seat, seeing as she wasn’t wearing a seat belt. She fell into the older man’s lap, incited a discomforted grunt from him. As the car drived on as normal---sort of---the ghost girl shook her head, gathering herself, only to realize the intimate position she was in.

She had fallen onto Vlad’s lap on her stomach, and now she was lying across his lower half, staring into the melting eyes of the billionaire.

“Ah…” she breathed, unable to form any kind of coherent sentence. Her face had to be beat red.

“It is not in my nature to let things go, but this position serves as a welcome apology,” he stated, those blood red orbs of his reflecting a calmness, as well as Dani herself.

Seeing herself in his eyes was becoming something of a habit, apparently.

“Hey, dudes?!” the driver began in a beseeching tone. “Like, do something!”

They both glanced upward, witnessing another building barreling toward them. Or rather, them toward it.

Dani struggled to get off of the seductive bachelor and grabbed the wheel again, stirring the car out of the way just in time.

“Vlad! Help us out here!” she implored in a somewhat commanding tone, trying desperately to stay focused. She had just fallen on his lap for goodness sake! That was one step away from throwing herself at him!

Plasmius sported a determined frown as he reached over Dani’s shoulder and wrapped his gloved-hand over hers, thus reigniting her blush. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his body emitting a fuchsia aura that quickly extended down the length of this arm. The aura covered his hand, and the young heroine’s as well, having an interesting affect; his raw ghost energy reacted with Dani’s, bringing her green aura to the surface. Both their hands were radiating green and fuchsia light, which then spread to the rest of the vehicle. Once the exterior was fully engulfed, the red car made its descent, gentled easing to the empty street below.

The car touched the ground, and the driver clambered out with a cry, shoving his door open and running to the nearest person to alert them about what just happened.

Dani let out an exhale of pure relief as she slumped over the center console. It looked like her confrontation with Desiree was far from over.

She had to find the wish granting ghost and stop her---for real this time.

_She’ll probably be granting the wishes of others in order to bring Amity Park into absolute chaos. If this last incident was any clue, she’s not playing around._

Or perhaps she was, in her eyes. Maybe she just wanted to watch the world burn?

Then Dani felt a presence looming behind her.

Apparently she’d forgotten she wasn’t alone.

Craning her head, she looked over her shoulder and saw Plasmius hunched over her, passion in his eyes.

“This position is bad, either,” he observed in a sultry tone of voice.

“Uh---V-vlad?? I-I don’t think now’s the time for whatever you’re---”

Before she could finish, the older man seized her by the arm and pulled her into him, embracing her snuggly. His arms were wrapped tightly around her shoulders and back, holding in her place. Her cheek rested again his collarbone, with her own arms draped at her sides.

He sighed into her ear, causing her to shiver. “How I’ve longed for this,” he said, pressing his protégé further into him. She was flush against his broad upper body, causing her heart to skip and her gut to dance.

She wanted to understand what this all meant. If she could be 100% certain that he was acting a bit out of character because he was expressing desire for her, then she wouldn’t hesitate to respond in kind.

But she was still afraid that she was wrong. And with Desiree on the loose, she had other priorities to shift her attention to.

The ghost girl tried to pull away, despite not really wanting to, only for the older half ghost to keep her tethered to him. He was like a steel structure, securing her in a sturdy hold. He didn’t have to repeat his declaration from earlier, for his hard body and strong arms communicated the message quite clearly.

“V-vlad? I need to go…we have to find Desiree,” she stated into his silk shirt.

When he didn’t respond, she looked up at him, seeing something she didn’t recognize in his features. If she had to guess, it looked like he was reflective, or maybe contemplative. His brow was furrowed, but his eyes were calm, now returning her gaze.

_Is he O.K.? He’s been acting differently since he picked me up from school. Vlad’s the kind of guy that says what’s on his mind, but he also strikes me as the kind of person who knows how to hold back. I mean, he’s a logical person, and if he let his frustration with others get to him all the time, he wouldn’t have gotten as far as he has in business. So, where is all this coming from?_

“Danielle,” he said quietly, gazing deep into the girl’s neon green eyes. “You’re such a sweet thing, always doing right by others. But when will you finally tend to yourself?”

“‘Tend to myself’?” she repeated, glancing at his beard when his stare became too intense.

“Yes, little badger. You do so much good for this town, but you never stop to reward yourself. You neglect to honor the things you do, you fail to see how great you really are. You act strictly from the goodness of your heart, but you seek nothing in return. Don’t you think you’re owed a bit a recognition, repayment?”

“I…I don’t do these things to get noticed. I’m not looking to be hailed as some ‘great hero’, or win a flashy prize. I do this because I think it’s right. I don’t need to have a physical incentive,” she explained, looking down at her mentor’s neck.

Was that the only reason Vlad did things, because he wanted to get something out of it? Did he imply that he didn’t do anything solely because he wanted or needed to?

If that was the case, then why was he here now? It couldn’t have been to save that surfer guy.

And why had he come to Amity Park in the first place?

“ _You can’t just stand there and tell me you honestly buy his crap?! Isn’t it super shady to you that he would just up and leave his home so easily? Doesn’t it seem weird that he hasn’t told your dad that he’s now living in the same town, and doesn’t it seem extremely strange that he’d offer to get close to you after only knowing you for what, like two days?!_ ”

What **was** the reason for all those things?

Uncertainty crashed into Dani’s brain, but despite this, her affections did not change. Maybe Sam had a point, but that didn’t change how she felt. Perhaps the bachelor was trying to hide something from Jack, and maybe it was strange that he’d leave Wisconsin after barely knowing her, but if their sessions together had proved anything, it was that he was serious about training her, aiding her in controlling her ghost powers.

And he promised to fight at her side forever---a promise she would never forget.

Maybe he didn’t do things out of the goodness of his heart, but that didn’t make him a monster. And the young heroine knew he was a hard person to deal with, given what the caterers at the reunion had to say.

But none of this mattered. He’d proved that he had some kindness in him, and maybe one day, she could persuade him to extend that kindness to others. After all, he had **also** promised to make up with her father.

She wanted them to be good friends again, and she wasn’t sure how she would feel if, by some miracle, they ended up together, but Vlad still hated Jack. It would put her in an awkward position.

Although, her position would be kinda awkward, either way.

“Hey Vlad?” she asked shyly.

He hummed in reply as he closed his eyes and hugged her tighter.  

“I uh…well…this may seem like a curve ball here, but…I was wondering…uh…if you came to Amity Park because---what I mean is---”

The older blinked his eyes back open and looked at Dani’s face. His own was so close, serving to deepen her blush. She had to turn a fraction to look at him.

“I uh---Well---Did you move to Amity Park just to be with me?”

_There! I asked it!_

Her heart pounded in her eyes, waiting for a response. She knew that asking such a question was dangerous; he could have interpreted it the way it was intended, but then scoff and reject the notion. Or, he could accuse her of misunderstanding him. Best case scenario? He’d say that he wanted to be closer to her just to make training together more efficient.

Ideal case scenario? He’d admit his love right here.

Provided he had any, of course.

The business mogul stroked her snow-white hair, once again gazing into her eyes. 

“Why else would I be here, little badger?”

“So…what does that mean, exactly? Like, d-do you---”

Cries from numerous distressed citizens assaulted their ears, and as a result Dani and Vlad looked outside, witnessing countless stuffed animals chasing after people, all with nasty expressions. The toys emitted an ectoplasmic aura, and quickly the ghost girl’s ghost sense went off.

“Uh oh,” she muttered, looking out the car window.

“I suppose you’ll want to remedy this?” the billionaire inquired, sounding disappointed.

“We have to,” she affirmed, clutching his shirt and turning to him.

He watched her for a moment, returning her resting gaze before responding: “Very well.”

He loosened his hold, allowing her room to go intangible and phase through the roof, with him following after.

The animals were seizing people and holding them in a vice-like grip. It was as if they were trying to squeeze the life out of anyone they grabbed. The ghost girl zipped to a crocodile that was holding a young woman, and she fired a beam of green light at the toy’s snout. It cried out in irritation, and upon seeing Dani, dropped it’s captive. When it opened its flimsy arms, the heroine remained intangible and sailed straight through the stuffed animal, taking the spirit out as she went.

She had done the exact same thing when Paulina had become a Japanese-inspired chibby, and the teenager hoped that the same tactic would work this time. And from the looks of it, it seemed too---the plushie fell on the sidewalk, lifeless, with the monstrous expression fading into a plain one.

The crocodile ghost struggled and thrashed, attempting to bite Dani’s arm as she reached for the Fenton Thermos. She uncapped it and sucked the little devil inside, and quickly went to help Vlad. Her mentor had restrained a good amount of the possessed toys, holding up a tiger, cat, dog, lizard, rabbit, bear, and an octopus, who was trying to strangle him with a few of its legs. However, Plasmius grabbed the soft appendages with swift reflexes.

The young heroine reached inside each of them and pulled out the ghosts that inhabited them, promptly sucking them into the Thermos.

Capping it, she looked around at the still vast number of stuffed animals prowling the street.

“If you could round them up, I can seal them in the Fenton Thermos,” she proposed.

“Anything to get this bothersome task done quickly,” he sighed, crossing his arms. He was then surrounded by his ecto-energy, and suddenly three other Vlad’s appeared around him.

“Oooo! Awesome!” the younger half ghost gushed. “I get to see you and your clones in action!”

All four shot a smug smile at the young girl, and before you could say “Jack’s your uncle”, they sailed off in different directions, each one zeroing in on a different animal. One clone produced an ectoplasmic rope and lassoed seven stuffed animals, while another stunned a group of them---one at a time, with energy blasts, quickly snatching them before they could recover. The third clone corralled a horde of 20 or more into a dumpster by leading them; he fired attack after attack, thereby agitating them and making them give chase.

The forth, which the young heroine was sure was the original, formed an ecto-plasmic wall around the remaining stuffed hazards, trapping them.

It took the teenager a few minutes to extract the ghosts and properly secure them, but soon the neighborhood was clear and safe once more.

Breathing a heavy sigh, Dani’s orbs roamed the area, making sure they didn’t miss any.

“I wonder who wished for **that** ,” she pondered out loud.

The four Vlads drifted over to the ghost girl, merging into one entity once at her side.

Dani held up the Thermos, remembered what happened the last time she disposed of a ghost in the ghost portal.

_Best to keep them in here for now._

She tucked the Thermos away into a pocket of her jumpsuit and turned to Vlad, the both of them hovering in the air feet above the sidewalk.

“Well, now that **that** job’s done,” she began, not sure how to continue her sentence.

“We may resume our conversation. I seem to recall you were asking me something.”

“O-oh, was I? I don’t remember! Completely slipped my mind, I’m afraid---whups!” she lied nervously, inwardly cringing at how silly she sounded.

_I don’t know if I can even ask him that now. I don’t have enough nerve anymore._

“Alright, then may I ask **you** something?” he inquired, drifting closer to his adorable protégé.

“Uh---sure,” the young heroine acquiesced.

“Does it bother you that I wish to be near you? Would you rather be in someone else’s company?”

“W-what? No! It doesn’t bother me at all! I love being with you---I mean---I really like training with you, and I have a lot of fun whenever we’re just hanging out---which I wish we did more, ‘cause that would be totally awesome---but that’s beside the point!”

Plasmius cocked his head and rose an eyebrow, clearly confused by the heroine’s word vomit. 

“You want to spend more time with me?” he asked, seeking clarification.

Dani’s face flushed as she looked away from him. “Uh huh.”

Her reply earned her a sly smirk from the billionaire. “How fortuitous. I desire to spend more time with you, as well--- **much** more time.”

The teenager chanced a glance at him, immediately being drawn into his gaze. “Y-yeah?”

“Danielle,” he started as he hovered even closer, being mere inches away from her petite form. “I told you that I can’t be another minute away from you. I refuse to distance myself any longer, and I intend to make this quite clear to those around you---namely, that **friend** of yours.”

Vlad sounded like he was threatened by Sam---could that mean he was jealous? The younger half ghost didn’t want to assume, but given **everything** that happened today, the evidence was pointing in a favorable direction for her. What was there left to humor, to entertain? The idea that his feelings were strictly platonic was dwindling, but what if she was wrong? Or maybe she was overthinking her overthinking?

Honestly, being a teenager was the **worst**.

She ruffled her hair, much to the puzzlement of the older man.

“I-if you’re worried about Sam, don’t be. Because of the fight I had with him yesterday, I doubt he’ll cause any trouble. B-but…can I ask **why** you’re worried about him?”

_Does he know about Sam’s feeling for me? But wouldn’t someone who was **in love** be jealous over something like that? _

_Does he really have feelings for me after all?_

Anticipation, nerves, and gut-wrenching anxiety dominated her brain, inspiring desire to hide under her blankets, run away, and embrace the tycoon all at the same time.

“Samuel Manson has feelings for you, little badger. Any numb-skull could deduce that.”

_Well, shoot. He knows._

“But doesn’t that mean you’re jealous of him?” she asked, feeling cramp-inducing butterflies swarm her stomach.

_Vlad’s got a lot of pride, so even if he did feel that way, he’d probably deny it. I really wish he wouldn’t though, ‘cause then I’d never know how he really feels about all this---about me._

“Of course I’m jealous. He’s vying for your attention,” he said matter-of-factly.

_Wait---WHAT??_

Surely Desiree couldn’t read thoughts?!

Her ghost sense hadn’t gone off, so the wish granter wasn’t in the area, but this was unprecedented! He admitted to feeling jealous, so that proved he was in love with her too---didn’t it?

“Danielle, I told you before that nothing was going to keep me away from you, and that includes Samuel Manson. I won’t stand for any interference on his part.”

“But I doubt he’ll do anything now. I…the fight we had yesterday was because of his feelings for me.”

“What do you mean?” Vlad asked.

“He told me.”

Panic flashed in the older half ghost’s eyes, but he said nothing.

“He told me, but I rejected him. I told him…I told him that I like someone else…”

Now the businessman’s face was oozing with unease. He clenched his fists and stared his disciple down like a dog would when challenging its owner for dominance.

“You…you have feelings for someone else?” he repeated, as if the thought was both sweet and sour; he sounded almost hopeful, but with a hint of trepidation.

“Y-yeah…”

_It’s you._

“It’s---”

“Dani! Dani, over here!” an imploring voice shouted from the street below. The ghost girl and her mentor turned to the source of the call, and found Tucker standing at the street corner, deep concern etched into her features. The young heroine took the opportunity to escape the nerve-wracking conversation, flying down toward her friend.

“Tucker, what’s up?”

“It’s Desiree! She’s back in town!”

“I know, Vlad and I ran into the aftermath of a few wishes today,” the ghost girl explained.

“Oh really? Yikes.”

“It wasn’t too bad. We handled it.”

The bachelor flew over to the girls and touched the ground, crossing his arms. Though his face was calm, the young heroine could tell he wasn’t too please about being interrupted.

“It’s getting rather late, isn’t it?” he inquired. “I’m surprised your parents let you out at this hour.”

“It’s only 5 o’clock,” the computer geek pointed out.

“When I was your age, my curfew was 5 o’clock.”

“Well, Tucker, Sam and I have a 10 o’clock one,” the younger half ghost enlightened.

The older man nodded, no doubt criticizing the parenting done by today’s adults.

“Oh yeah, speaking of Sam,” Tucker led.

“We weren’t, really,” the heroine stated.

“Yeah, well, never mind. He called me earlier, asking about you. He wanted to know if you were O.K.”

“Oh…” Dani dared to look at Vlad, only to be met with an eyebrow twitch and a scowl.

“He was worried ‘cause of Desiree. That’s why I came to find you; I wanted to make sure you were alright, too.”

“Thanks, Tuck,” the young ghost heroine said when she turned back to the computer geek. “You can tell Sam I’m fine.”

“Sure thing, but hey, we should find Desiree, yeah? I’ll text Sam to meet us at your place and the four of us can look for her.”

“Uh---actually, go ahead and text him, but I think it would be better if we split into two teams. You know, cover more ground that way,” Dani recommended, attempting to keep her mentor’s temper in check. It was obvious from the way he was acting today that he had no filter anymore, even if he hadn’t had much of one to begin with. That being said, he was probably capable of anything, and the last thing the young heroine wanted was the man she loved and one of her best friends fighting over her.

Many would say that two guys competing for your attention was sexy, but frankly, she was more worried about what would happen to Sam.

She also didn’t want things between the goth and the older man to get any worse.

“Sure, but don’t you think it’s time to talk to Sam about the mess from yesterday?”

“Maybe, but I think Desiree is the bigger priority right now,” the teenager noted.

“Yeah, makes sense I guess,” Tucker agreed. “So, I’ll go find Sam, and you and Vlad will search from the sky?”

“Good plan!” the ghost girl said, pointing a finger at her friend.

“I concur,” the business mogul stated, walking next to Dani and putting a gloved-hand on her small shoulder.

“Alright then, good luck, guys!” Tucker encouraged before booking it down the block, texting the rebel as she went.

Dani felt like a ten-ton weight had been lifted from her lungs, releasing a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

_Thank God, crisis averted._

Now she had to find the wish granting ghost, but with Sam, Tucker, and Vlad’s help, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

And once this was over, she would have a proper sit-down with the goth and talk things over. Being distant wasn’t good for either of them; they were both to blame for ignoring each other today.

Sighing again, the young girl looked up at Vlad, who’s hand was still planted on her shoulder.

“We should start looking.”

“Your friends can take care of this,” he deadpanned, watching Tucker’s back as she grew smaller and smaller.

“Not without us, they can’t,” she proclaimed, furrowing her brow. “We’re the only ones with ghost powers.

“Just give them the Fenton Thermos and be done with it,” he insisted, stepping around her so that he was standing in front of her, his hand still where it was.

“I can’t do that,” the young heroine asserted, looking the businessman in the eye. “Desiree is my responsibility. I should have known that the ghost portal was faulty, or she wouldn’t be out causing trouble now.”

Vlad’s gaze turned predatory; his ruby orbs reflecting not only her, but also a fiery passion, and they were narrowed, as if homing in on his young protégé.

“I won’t wait anymore,” he growled, suddenly lifting Dani by her forearms and pinning her against the wall of house to their left. She was at his eye level, her feet dangling off the ground. Instinctually, she squirmed, trying to get away, until she made eye contact with her frustrated mentor. He was baring his fangs and staring back at her, thus inspiring fear in the young girl’s veins. This was second time the in last few hours that he had truly frightened her.

His grip was tight, almost painful. Dani’s heart pounded out of control, slamming against her ribcage. Her green orbs were wide with distress and her mouth fell agape, with her eyebrows folded in great concern

“V-vlad?”

“I won’t allow anyone to interfere any longer,” he declared. “My patience has run out.”

“Wh-wh-what do you mean?” she inquired cautiously.

“I tire of this!” he exclaimed, startling her. “I am sick and tired of having to play the patient gentleman! I am through with sitting back and watching as others try to assert themselves as priorities in your life!”

The young girl blinked in utter shock. He was truly frustrated---no---- **angry**. But why? Was he really that jealous of Sam, and was that jealously suddenly now extended to anyone who was a part of her life?

“I…” he paused and looked down, apparently collecting his thoughts, “I’m tired of being the last person on your mind.”

The ghost girl’s face flushed pure red, resembling a fresh bushel of apples.

“But…you’re **not**.”

His head shot back up. “What?”

“You’re **not** the last person on my mind,” she reassured, mentally trying to levee her hyperactive nerves. Her kind and supportive mentor was experiencing something troublesome, and she wanted to help him through it as much as possible, seeing as she may have been the one to cause it.

“Are you…?” the billionaire began, but trailed off.

“I th-think about you all the time. You’re the first person I think about in the morning, and the first person I think about just before I fall asleep. You’re always on my mind…” she confessed, unable to meet his gaze throughout the exchange. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so embarrassed regarding a crush, mostly because she never talked to any of her past crushes. Although, she wasn’t really in love with any of them, either.

She swallowed, sensing Vlad’s eyes still on her. How would he react to this confession? Would he be happy? Would he feel better? Would he not be as jealous anymore?

Because Dani learned a valuable thing this day---a jealous Vlad was a dangerous Vlad.

Perhaps he hadn’t actually **done** anything yet, but she knew he was more than capable. She shuddered to think what might’ve happened if all four of them had teamed up like Tucker suggested.

“So…yeah…that’s that,” she added anxiously, wanted to break the awkward silence.

“Danielle,” the older man said in a near whisper, sounding very surprised. His little badger had been thinking about him that often? Perhaps that was the prove he was looking for! Could this, perchance, be a confession of love? He couldn’t be sure, but he was so delighted he didn’t even **think** about asking her. Instead, he wore a delighted grin and chuckled to himself.

“What’s the joke?” the cute girl asked, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ve been so focused on Samuel Manson’s feelings for you, that I failed to notice this. I thought I was looking only at you, but I was distracted, and I neglected to see the truth.”

“‘The truth’?” she repeated in that sweet voice of hers.

“It’s clear now, that I have to stay with you, but not just physically. I must keep my mind solely on you, think **only** of you, lest I miss something else crucial.”

“But that’s not possible. And what’s so ‘crucial’ about what I said?” The poor thing sounded confused.

“It’s not what you said precisely, but what it **implies**. I have a better understand of how you feel now, and I intend to make sure that feeling grows.”

For some reason, what Vlad just send sent chills up Dani’s spine. It didn’t sound friendly or warm, but slightly suspicious, dark. It sounded like a conviction one would impose upon a criminal before they’re sentenced to brutal justice. 

The young heroine struggled again, getting a sense of foreboding in the bottom of her gut.

“I have to keep you with me, and stay with you, always,” he murmured.

“W-we really need to g-go looking for Desiree,” she reminded, trying to keep her cool. Alerting Vlad to her inner panic was probably not a good idea.

“And ruin this moment? I don’t think so,” he avowed. “I can’t end this, not after hearing what you said, little badger.”

“But we have to!” she persisted. “Tucker and Sam will be counting on us! We can’t let them down!”

“And what do I care about Samuel Manson and Tucker Foley? All I care about is right here,” he purred, leaning in close.

“V-vlad!” the younger half ghost exclaimed, synapses firing nerve impulses and sending them throughout her body, telling her to get away.

 _He’s really not acting like himself---I knew it, something’s wrong! He may not like Sam that much, but now it seems like he won’t even go help them for **me**!_ _And Tucker, he doesn’t hate her, but I guess he never really thought about her before; maybe he sees her like he does everyone else?_

_O.K., not gonna lie, that kinda makes me angry._

_But I don’t think that’s really the point right now!_

For indeed, it appeared the billionaire was perfectly content with letting Sam and Tucker face Desiree alone, and risk them getting hurt.

Or worse.

No, she couldn’t let that happen.

But why was he acting this way now? At least with the Ember incident, he worked with them, despite whatever he was feeling for them at the time. And as Dani surmised earlier, being in the corporate world meant you had to work well with others, so Vlad would have **had** to keep his condescending views to himself a majority of the time.

So what was going on? What could have caused this?

Did he just snap? No, Vlad didn’t strike Dani as the kind of person that did that, although, given what she’d seen today, now she wasn’t so certain.

“H-hey Vlad?”

“Hmm?” he responded, smiling.

“I-is everything alright? Like, you doin’ O.K.?”

“Of course, my dear. I’ve never been better,” he answered honestly, his previously creepy demeanor seemingly gone. 

“Well, it’s just, you’ve been acting kinda weird all day, and I was just wondering if you were feeling alright,” she explained, looking up at the darkening sky. With the sun setting, the temperature would start to drop, returning to the chill-inducing air of the last few mornings.

“I’m elated, little badger, truly ecstatic. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this way. I simply **must** thank the one responsible for this,” he noted.

“Huh? Wouldn’t you be thanking yourself?” she asked, glancing back into her mentor’s orbs.

He chuckled. “No, my dear. I had allowed my self-appointed role, my self-restraint, my **fear** , to keep me away from you. But now, I can finally express my true feelings---be the real **me**.”

At first she was perplexed, but after a moment Dani’s face mirrored a student having a “ah ha!” moment in math class, although for her, it was a mix of that, and a person realizing something deeply alarming.

She recalled something else Sam had said, and it all became clear: “ _I just wish you could see the real Vlad Masters!_ ”

Desiree had been freed from the Ghost Zone due to the faulty control panel, so she must have heard the rebel’s desire!

This meant that the tycoon was under the ghostly wish granter’s spell, much like Tucker was. And if he was jealous of Sam before, then it only made sense for that emotion to amplify, just like Tuckers! Soon, it would be all consuming, and Vlad would turn into some kind of monster too! He would be controlled by his envy of the goth, and that envy would spread to other people---although it looked like that was already happening.

Would she even be able to snap him out of it, or would she have to fight him, too?

“Vlad, you gotta listen to me! This isn’t a blessing; you’ll be lost to your own jealousy if you don’t fight it!”

The older man cocked his head in bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re under Desiree’s spell, and if we don’t find a way to break it, you won’t be the same anymore!”

Then the businessman looked impressed. “So, you figured out that Desiree had a part to play in this? How very astute of you, little badger.”

“It’s more than just ‘a part’! Can’t you see what happening? You’re not acting like yourself, and you have far more self-control than this!” she gestured to their current position, with him still pinning her against the wall. “She’s got you doing things you never would have---doesn’t that scare you?”

“Danielle, I admire this opinion you have of me, but let me be frank; what you’ve seen---the person you’ve been around all afternoon---is the true Vlad Masters. I’m not so saintly, but with you being as observant as you are, I’m sure you’ve seen it.”

He was right, she **had** seen it; the first time they met, the incident with Poindexter, and several times that very day.

“True, I’ve held back in the past, but thanks to the person who made that wish, I’ve not felt a single ounce of self-restraint regarding you, which I now see as the thing that was preventing me from being truthful.”

“But self-restraint isn’t a bad thing!” Dani refuted desperately. “It means you’re better than all the people in the world that are slaves to their drives, their emotions! It means you don’t force yourself and your beliefs on others so vehemently, and it means that you can gain the trust and respect of everyone around you!”

“It also means that one is restricted in their actions and speech,” the billionaire added with a serious expression. “Why should I limit myself in such a manner, especially concerning you?”

“Because you’re being the bigger man, which is tons better than surrendering to your baser instincts like some common teenager,” the ghost girl explicated, worry etched into her features. “Weren’t you better than that?”

“When it involves you, little badger, I don’t give a damn,” he responded, not even pretending to think his answer over.

 _“---Vlad may be a creep, but even I doubt that he’d try something. He has a reputation to think of._ ”

Looks like the goth wasn’t quite accurate with this conjecture. With the tycoon’s self-restraint gone, he didn’t care about anything that didn’t have to do with the younger half ghost, or at the very least, that concern was fading away, and fading **fast**.

She had to put an end to this, after all, it was clear the bachelor didn’t mind his current state of being. But this was due to Desiree’s spell, it had to be---just because his true nature was much darker and more commanding than she had previously thought didn’t mean this was all he was. Heck, **everyone** had a darker nature; some chose to give in to it, with others fought like hell to maintain their better sides. And she was convinced that if the side of Vlad she’d gotten to know could see this now, he was would utterly ashamed.

The young girl made up her mind then; she vowed that not only would she save him from this malady, but she would also love him, all of him---the good and the bad.

She realized that she was drawn to him by his looks and charm, then grew to love him for his kindness and understanding, and now she wanted to embrace everything he was.

Many would be turned off by this sort of possessive, commanding behavior, and she couldn’t lie, it still scared her, but the younger half ghost would rather be forced into another dress before she abandoned the man she loved.

But it was obvious that she couldn’t do anything if she stuck around with the eccentric bachelor pinning her to wall. She sucked in a breath, and mentally prepared for the hullabaloo that was sure to take place.

“I’m sorry, Vlad,” she said after she exhaled, and then she turned intangible and sank through the wall, warranting a startled expression for the older billionaire.

“Danielle?” he called, looking around frantically. “Danielle?!”

No. His little badger had left him…

His dear one had **left him.**

Where was she going? What was she going to do? Who was she going to see? What was she going to do with them?

WHY DID SHE LEAVE HIM?!

Was she going to see Samuel Manson?

Why? Didn’t she say that **he** was the person that was always on her mind?? Why would she--- **should** she---waste her time on a sniveling little brat like that?!

“No, I will NOT let this stand,” he began, his eyes glowing a fiery fuchsia as wisps of it escaped those furious red orbs. “I will NOT allow you to steal MY Danielle away from me, **SAMUEL MANSON**!”

 

**********

 

 The ghost girl soared through the darkening sky, neon green eyes searching for her best friends. She had to find them quickly, or risk endangering Amity Park even further, thereby dooming its citizens to a plague of malformed wishes.

Without Vlad’s help, taking care of Desiree would be a problem, but not one Dani couldn’t face; after all, she had already taken her down **once**.

But this was different. This was personal---even more so than last time.

Now Desiree had gone too far. She’d taken a deep-rooted emotion from within the eccentric bachelor and turned it into something potentially dangerous. He wasn’t acting like his calm and collected self at all, and to make matters worse, he was open about his lack of regard for others…more so than usual. With that attitude, he could justify anything, and the young heroine shuddered at the troubling possibilities.

_Just **what** is he capable of? And do I even want an answer to that question? _

Moreover, the man was clearly very protective of her, and this could breed a whole host of problems. Not that this was, in of itself, a bad thing; she had seen him be protective of her in the past, but **now** …who knew what he would do in order to keep her safe?

Was the very concept of protection warped in his mind? Would he do something that he would never do normally? Could he use his desire to look after her to justify a truly egregious act?

Once again, the teenager wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to those questions.

But she did wonder about the answers to this one: What did Vlad’s feelings mean?

Was his jealousy of Sam proof that he loved her back? The younger half ghost couldn’t be sure, not unless she asked him this directly, and she wasn’t sure she had the courage to do that anymore. Though she came close to doing so twice in their conversation---or at least, close to hinting at it---the adrenaline rush was fading away, taking away any confidence she had built up that day.

Now, she was more worried about restoring her mentor to normal, as well as saving the city. All she wanted was to see the billionaire act like his old self again, because his indifference regarding his change of character would lead him to say and do some pretty awful things, much like with Tucker. True, the jealousy they both possessed was real, but that didn’t mean the way they acted out of their envy was their quote unquote “real selves”. Every single person on the planet was the same way, but its their **decision** to act on their jealousy, not that they are predisposed to do so. And maybe Vlad’s nature did make it harder for him to keep his primal desires at bay, but that didn’t mean he was capable; after all, Dani had seen him do it before, and he even admitted that he did.

But thanks to Sam, the tycoon no longer cared about keeping up appearances. Soon he would be uncontrollable, maybe even unstoppable, and the ghost girl really didn’t want to see that.

A gust of cold autumn night air assaulted her features, making Dani flinch. Even in ghost form, she wasn’t impervious to the cold.

She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Tucker’s number, hoping she would answer.

After three rings, she did.

“Hey! I’m with Sam. What’s up?”

“You’re looking for Desiree, right? I can help you.”

“But weren’t you with Vlad?”

“I was…but he’s under Desiree’s spell,” the heroine admitted, looking at the quiet street below.

“Oh boy,” the computer geek responded in concern. “What happened?”

Then the half ghost heard a faint voice on the other end; Sam’s, though she couldn’t make out what he said.

“Hold on, dude! I gotta---ugh, he wants to talk to you,” Tucker stated.

“O.K., put him on.”

After a second of silence, Dani heard this in her ear: “Dani! Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?”

“No, no he didn’t,” she replied, sighing.

_If you don’t count the pinning-me-up-against-the-wall thing._

“So you’re safe?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m actually trying to find you guys. Listen, Sam, Desiree heard what you said the other day, and she made Vlad incapable of self-restraint, or feeling it, anyway. I can’t work with him like this, and I’m worried about him. I don’t want him to end up like Tucker, or worse.”

Silence.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, I hear you,” he said, clearly annoyed. “So, what do you mean Desiree heard what I said? You mean, when I---”

“When you wished that I could see the real Vlad,” she reminded.

“Ah. So, what happened?”

“Like I said, he didn’t hurt me,” the heroine reiterated in her own annoyance.

“Was he being creepy?”

“No!”

_Well, he **did** kinda scare me a bit, but that’s not the point. _

“Vlad was saying weird things, and he…well…he admitted he was jealous of you,” the ghost girl confessed.

“He…what?”

“He said he was jealous of you, Sam.”

Silence on the other end told Dani that the goth was thinking, or at least in surprise. If she was in his shoes, she supposed she would be too, given how strong Sam’s feelings were, both those of love **and** envy.

“Look Sam, I hate this; I just want things to go back to the way things were, when we were just goofing around and being good friends.”

“Dani,” the rebel started, seriousness evident in his tone. “I don’t know if things **can** go back to normal. I told you how I feel, and you’ve made your feelings quite clear. I don’t want to lose you Dani, but a part of me believes I already have.”

“Sam…”

“I…I want to stay by your side. I want to look after you, and I want to protect you, but you don’t want the same thing. You want to be with someone else, and of course I’m upset with that.”

“But Sam, I---”

“Still, what I **don’t** want is to end things here. I also want to be like we were before, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“But it is!” the young heroine pointed out. “We can still be friends; we can still go to Nasty Burger after school and talk about stupid things, and we can still hang out at each other’s houses, go to the mall, play video games, hunt for ghosts, and have our Halloween movie night! Nothing has to change just because we’ve changed.”

Once again, silence. Perhaps the goth was mulling it over? Did he really have to?

She could understand. If she had to imagine an ordinary, platonic life with the older half ghost, and was forced to live in that life, she wouldn’t be too pleased either. Despite this, she promised to herself that she would always be in his corner, even if that meant confronting a heartbreaking reality.

“You know, maybe I have been a bit childish,” Sam fessed up, sounding as if he had lifted a massive weight from his heart. “You don’t deserve someone who’s so far up their own ass that they nearly ruin something great---you need **real** friends.”

Dani smiled into the receiver. “You **are** a real friend, Sam.”

“Thanks, Dani,” the goth acknowledged, and the ghost girl could practically hear the relieved smile on his face. But when she heard his response, she thought it echoed; she heard it twice. She looked around in slight confusion, and when her eyes roamed to the street she noticed both Sam and Tucker standing by a street light, and the rebel was looking up at her, with that relieved expression.

Tucker must have seen this, because she looked up as well, and her face lit up. The young heroine flew down to them and hung up once her feet touched the ground. Before she could say anything, the rebel teen threw his thin arms around her in a tight hug. The half ghost reciprocated, embracing her friend back.

Once they parted, Sam looked into Dani’s eyes, and right then the girl knew he was going to be O.K.

“I’m sorry about all that,” he said sincerely.

“It’s O.K.,” Dani began. “I’m just glad we can stay friends.”

“I’d be an idiot if I passed up the chance to stay friends with you, Dani.” 

“Well, if you guys are done being sentimental,” Tucker started, smirking. “We’ve got ourselves a ghost to find.”

“Right,” the heroine agreed. She pocketed her phone and adopted a contemplative expression, bringing her fist to her lips. “Hmmm, we can try looking downtown, or the park?”

“I ran through there earlier when I was looking for you, and I didn’t see anything,” the computer geek explained.

“How about we follow the wishes? Tucker told me that you and Vlad had to deal with possessed stuffed animals a few miles from here, so what if we retrace your steps and try to find Desiree based on the weird phenomena that we see?”

“If we actually see any,” the techno enthusiast added, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I don’t any ideas, so let’s go with that,” the young girl advised, nodding at Sam.

Dani scooped up her friends and flew back the way she came, reaching the neighborhood where she was with her mentor 15 minutes ago, and found he was gone. She felt guilty for leaving him, especially in state he was in, but there was nothing else for it. Given this, she sailed over the street and the building where she was pinned to and searched for any strange paranormal activity. Tucker and Sam looked around too, glancing around the environs with great scrutiny. For a good half hour, they didn’t see or hear (or sense, in Dani’s case) anything out of the ordinary. By all appearances, this night was like any other in Amity Park---quiet, still, and boring. In fact, before the ghost poured out of the ghost portal, Amity Park was quaint little town, a fa cry from neighboring Chicago.

Finding Desiree was proving to be a vexing task, so the young heroine decided to hurry home and borrow some of her parents’ ghost hunting equipment, but just as the party of three spotted the Fenton Works sign several blocks away, screams erupted west of their position. Dani rocketed to the source of the sounds and saw a 30 foot tall cyan n’ black monster truck, flaming red eyes at the windshield and a ferocious jaw, with a mouth packed with sharp teeth. Below, a mother and her young son, most likely 5 or 6, were running in the opposite direction, more than a little terrified.

The truck drove after them, but the young half ghost fired a beam of energy from her hand, hitting the possessed vehicle square in the back window. It roared, clearly incensed, and whipped around, emitted harsh tire-screeching as it did. Dani set her friends down on a nearby roof and handed Sam the Fenton Thermos. Then she took off toward the monster truck, bombarding it with ecto-engery blasts and similar attacks, remembering everything the older man had taught her up until this point.

Swinging her leg, the young half ghost sent a crescent-shaped ray of green at truck, intending to hit the creature in the face. When it made impact, the monster truck roared again and raced to Dani, opening its enormous jaw. The girl had no desire to be some ghost-car’s supper, so she dove out of the way and appeared up behind the overgrown Toyota, launching a ball of pure energy at its rear bumper.  The truck dodged by moving sharply to the left, then retaliated by emitting a wave of blue fire from its open mouth. The blaze raged, and shot out like a flamethrower, thoroughly startling the white-haired teenager. She flew to the right, but the fire scorched her left sleeve, and she gasped. The burn reached her skin, and she felt the flesh sizzle and ache, undoubtably turning the fair skin tone a deep and angry red.

She cried out, gripping her injury, when the truck raced toward her again, but luckily Dani was able to dodge again, flying higher in the air. She smirked down at her opponent and pointed.

“Ha! Whatcha gonna do now?” she mocked.

Without hesitating, the monster truck rose up to meet the young heroine, by means of steel expansion rods underneath the car. Soon, it joined her, feet above the roofs of Amity Park.

“Well…crap.”

The truck roared for a third time, fire leaking from his menacing jaw. Dani soared away from it, only for it to follow; the rods disappeared back inside the truck and it proceeded to chase the teenager in the air, whipping and sailing around one another in what looked like the weirdest aerial show on the planet.

Tucker and Sam watched helplessly as their friend got nearly gobbled up or burned multiple times, with the latter sporting an apprehensive expression.

“We’ve got to do something!” the goth decreed.

“Yeah, but what? We can’t exactly fly,” the computer geek remarked.

“If we can distract the truck, maybe Dani can extract the ghost and seal it in the Thermos,” Sam explained.

“Sure, but how can we distract it?”

The rebel followed the truck with his eyes. “We need to get its attention.”

Just then, he ran to the other side of the roof, picked up an empty soda can, and ran back to Tucker.

“Oh yeah, ‘cause that’s a **real** distraction,” Tucker said sarcastically.

“Gather all the trash that’s up here, and we can throw it at the truck,” Sam enlightened.

“‘Cept our arms aren’t that long,” she retorted, crossing hers. “We can’t throw that far,”

“We won’t have to.”

The young heroine weaved under the truck before it could take a bite out of her. As she passed under it, she fired a continuous beam from both palms, hoping to weaken the possessed vehicle. Though the attack served to slow it down, there was no lasting damage.

Dani flew back in the direction of her friends, her eyes locked on her opponent. When it recovered, it gave chase once again, and the half ghost gunned it. Sailing passed the other two teenagers, she caused a strong gust of winds to flap their hair and nearly knock them down. But as the truck advanced, Sam brought his arm back, instructing Tucker to do the same, and chucked the garbage at the vehicle, and the computer geek followed suit. Soda cans, small pipes, and paper bags filled with heavy objects were tossed at the truck, and some it hit, while the rest covered the windshield, blinding it.

It roared in disdain, and used it’s windshield wipers to clear up the debris. Once it could see again, it homed in on Sam and Tucker, and snarled.

“Huh…now what?” the techno geek asked.

It advanced, and Sam grabbed his friend and dove for the floor, just narrowly missing a date with the inside of an evil truck. Naturally, this caused Tucker to squeak.

The car came back around, only for Dani, who had turned intangible, to fly through it and drag out the ghost.

“Sam!” she called.

The goth opened the Thermos just as Dani let go of the ghost, having it fall into the forceful blue funnel. The ghost was stretched thin, and pulled directly into the canister.

The monster truck shrank dramatically, returning to a toy-sized object.

The goth capped the Thermos and sighed, with Dani hovering just off the roof’s edge.

“That was **way** too close,” Tucker mumbled.

“Nice thinking Sam, but how did you know that would work?” the ghost girl asked.

“I saw you fly overhead a few times, so I assumed you were going to come back around,” he explicated.

“You mean it was just an **assumption**??” Tucker asked in utter disbelief.

Suddenly, Dani’s ghost sense went off, and she turned around, seeing green smoke manifest just feet away from her. The mist formed into Desiree, who looked rather pleased with herself.

“That was well done, ghost girl,” she praised coolly.

“But let me guess, you’re not too happy about it,” Dani replied, glaring.

“I’m a bit surprised, actually, since my distraction was meat to keep you off my tail,” she muttered, looking off to the side.

“Well, this **distraction** of yours didn’t work, so let’s finish this,” the half ghost challenged, having a pretty good idea what this “distraction” was.

“Yes, you’re quite right about that,” Desiree concurred, smirking. Without warning, her arm grew in length, approaching the young heroine in seconds, as her now giant hand grasped her.

“Dani!” Sam cried.

“Hurry, suck Desiree in the Thermos!” Tucker implored.

“I can’t! Dani’s right there! And besides, she’s powerful enough that we can’t just suck her in.”

“No way…then how did you beat her last time?”

“Dani wished her inside in the Thermos,” the goth explained.

Desiree’s grip tightened, making her captive gasp out in pain. The younger half ghost struggled to get free, remembering that she couldn’t turn intangible to escape.

_If only I had the Thermos on me! But if I call to Sam, Desiree will know what I’m doing, and she’ll get away._

The wish granting ghost slammed the young teen into the building, causing some of the roof to crumble to the sidewalk. Luckily, Sam and Tucker retreated to a stable part of the roof, so they did not descend. Meanwhile, the heroine received minor lacerations on her side, arm, and legs.

Desiree pulled Dani away from the structure, gazing at her victim with cold delight. Then the white-haired half ghost swung her leg, sending another crescent beam of light at her **new** opponent. The attack landed, hitting Desiree in the stomach. She grunted, releasing the teenager.

Taking advantage of the situation, Dani began soaring back over to Sam, holding her hand out.

“Thermos, hurry!”

The goth complied, extending his own hand with the Thermos in it’s grasp. The peppy teenager was seconds away from reaching her friend when a solid wall of see-through eco-energy manifested in between them, cutting them off. Fortunately, the girl slowed down in time, so she didn’t face plant.

“What the---?”

The wall encased the entire roof, making it impossible to fly around, but it was more so the color of the energy that alarmed Dani.

It was fuchsia. 

She turned around, seeing Plasmius hovering in front of Desiree, icy rage craved into his features. All warmth and compassion from his eyes were gone, replaced instead, by a threatening glow.

“Vlad! Don’t do this!” the teenager beseeched.

“I won’t stand for this any longer,” he declared. “I will not loose you, Danielle.”

“But you won’t! You haven’t! I’m not going anywhere!”

“I must ensure that,” he proclaimed, holding his hand up, which was quickly consumed in ghostly energy.

“No! You don’t have to! I swear, I’ll always be at your side!”

“I believe you,” he began, his vision trailing over Dani’s shoulder to Sam, who appeared shocked and appalled. “But should there be factors that keep you away…”

“There aren’t any!” the younger half ghost enlightened, worry present in her tone.

Just then, Desiree started to fade away, pleased her distraction was finally working. Dani noticed this, and panicked.

“No! She’s getting away! Vlad---destroy the shield, please!”

The ghostly wish granted chuckled as she vanished, green mist fading out like steam.

“Way to go, Vlad!” Sam chastised. “Now she’s gone!”

The billionaire’s brow furrowed even more, making his fury ever more evident. The red light returned to his eyes, glowing ominously. He brought his arm back and send a blast of energy at the shield, which the ghost girl noticed disappearing into the ether. The tycoon’s attack was heading for Sam, and with a surge of complete and utter panic, Dani sailed after the blast. When it was mere feet in front of the goth, the young heroine swooped and grabbed the rebel, with the attack hitting a ventilation unit.

Tucker fell to her knees, both shocked and relieved, as the ghost girl put Sam down next to her. She turned back to the older half ghost, who looked even more incensed.

Growling, he fired another blast, which prompted Dani to pick Sam back up and weave around the assaults. She turned, bended, twisted, and swerved out of the way of numerous attacks that weren’t meant for her, trying to formulate a plan in her head. She had to catch up to Desiree, but that would be almost possible with Vlad on her tail.

If only she had the power to teleport.

One of the bachelor’s blasts breezed passed the heroine’s injured side, grazing it. She cried out, shutting her eyes.

“Dani, are you O.K.?!” the goth asked in concern.

“Y-yeah…” she mumbled.

_Geez, looks like that monster truck got me good._

Dani opened one neon green eye, witnessing the billionaire vastly approaching. It looked like he was going to snatch Sam from her grasp, which she knew she couldn’t allow. Opening the other eye, she zipped away from the older man, opting to circle the block; she flew low to the ground, hoping to lose him in the maze of buildings.

She darted down an alleyway that led out into another neighborhood, and turned invisible, slowing her pace down.

“Do you think we lost him?” Sam inquired.

“I hope so,” she replied, feeling an ache in her chest at her own words.

Unexpectedly, an unseen force grabbed the rebel’s leg, yanking him out of the ghost girl’s arms. Sam and Dani yelped in unison, and when the heroine stopped, she looked behind her but saw nothing. Returning visible, she yelled out to her friend.

“Sam!” Sam!!”

“I’m over here!” he shouted back, high above. The girl looked up, and suddenly Vlad became visible, holding the goth teen by the shin.

“Vlad!” she called out desperately. “Please, put him down!”

“Interesting choice of words, Danielle,” he said with a hint of snark, despite not smiling. He loosened his grip, causing Sam to slide a fraction.

“No!” the young heroine cried in alarm.

“Dani!”

The teenager looked down the street and saw Tucker coming her way.

“Tucker! Do something!” she pleaded.

“What do you mean? You’re the one with the powers--- **you** do something!”

The girl bit her lip. She never wanted to fight her friend, and now she **definitely** didn’t want to fight the man she loved. But Sam was in danger, and the city was in jeopardy. If she didn’t act soon, fighting the pompous billionaire would be the least of her worries.

She gazed back up at the business mogul, who was now holding the goth by the ankle.

“Sam!”

The computer geek reached Dani’s side and followed her eyes, seeing the sight above her. She gulped.

“Yo Vlad, you don’t gotta do this!” she besought. “Sam’s not gonna steal Dani away!”

“You’re right, Ms. Foley, he **won’t** ,” the older man responded, orbs igniting. His fingers pulled away, but before Sam could fall involuntarily, the rebel kicked his captor in the chest with his free leg, making Vlad drop the boy.

“SAM!” the younger half ghost screamed before rocketing into the air and catching the goth before he hit the ground. “Don’t **ever** do that again!”

“Heh, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around; the guy carries the girl bridal style when he gets her out of danger?”

“Welcome to the 21st century, asshole,” she jabbed, furious that Sam would risk his own life like that.

The two touched the ground, and the businessman growled in frustration. He bared his fangs and dove for the young heroine. She squeaked, ducked---pulling her friends done with her---and missed Vlad’s infuriated grasp.

He whipped around when he reached a street sign, balling his gloved-hands into very tight fists.

“Would you STOP interfering, Danielle?! You’re making this harder than it needs to be!”

“I can’t!” she yelled in response. “I won’t let you hurt my friend! Please, Vlad, wake up! Come back to your senses! Come back to **me**!”

“I’ve never been more awake, my dear,” he said in a tone that could freeze the blood in ones’ veins. He rocketed back toward the three teenagers, pulling back both arms, most likely with the intention of striking Sam with a massive energy blast.

“Please, Vlad, don’t make me do this!” Dani begged, tears threatening to spill. She clenched her teeth and shut her dread-filled eyes, holding both fists up. They quickly became ingulfed in a green light, and once the older man was almost at her position, she fired a powerful ray of that light, sending it into Vlad’s person.

The force of the attack pushed him back into a building, creating a large whole in the side of the brick structure.

“Holy crap…” Tucker murmured.

As the smoke cleared, the tycoon pulled himself out of the edifice, sporting multiple tears and rips in his suit and cape.

He grunted, attempted to straighten his posture, when he got a good look as his protégé.

She stood, rooted to her spot, sniffling. Her previously open palm now matched the other, which was still balled into a fist. She was trembling, and her eyes were pooling with tears.

She had done it.

She had attacked him.

She had hurt him.

It didn’t matter how minor the injuries, she still hurt him, and in her eyes, that was the worst thing she could have done.

She promised to fight at his side forever, hadn’t she?

Her knees felt weak, and then she looked up at her mentor, seeing him slightly hunched over.

“I-I-I di-idn’t w-want to,” she struggled to say, feeling her throat constrict.

“Danielle…?”

“I-I-I’m so-o so-orry!!!” she sobbed, throwing her hands to her face and falling on her knees, crying like a child who had lost a loved one.

The billionaire stared---wide eyed. She was upset, **greatly, immensely,** upset. In her mind, she had betrayed her mentor, and the anguish must have been more than she could bare.

_Danielle…_

_Didn’t I promise to never make you cry, again?_

_But I have._

_I’ve made you feel a wretched guilt, I’ve made you cry…_

_How…how could I have hurt you? How could I’ve **allowed** myself to hurt you?? HOW COULD I?! _

Guilt, remorse, sorrow, and regret flooded the older man’s mind, unable to comprehend how he let this happen. All he wanted was to keep her safe---all he wanted to do was to protect and guard her, love her, care for her, but he had done the exact opposite. He hurt her, and pushed her to do something she shouldn’t have had to. But wasn’t he just trying to be closer to her? Didn’t he just want them to be together? How could such an innocent desire turn into something so ugly?

Without tearing his eyes away from Dani, who was now being swarmed by her friends, the business mogul tried to recall when things went wrong. He’d picked her up from school, they chatted in the car, then she mentioned Samuel and he got angry---

_Wait a minute…_

_At the mere mention of that boy’s name, I grew jealous, as I am right now, but…but I never allowed it to show before…_

_I kept my primal judgements to myself, for fear of scaring Danielle away. I didn’t want her to know of my envy, my jealousy…_

Just like with all his darker emotions and tendencies, Vlad kept them as locked away as he could get them, especially regarding his little badger. He never wanted to expose his true nature to her, so he employed is iron-willed self-restraint, but now that self-restraint was gone.

Then he remembered what his dear one said to him earlier: “ _But self-restraint isn’t a bad thing! It means you’re better than all the people in the world that are slaves to their drives, their emotions! It means you don’t force yourself and your beliefs on others so vehemently, and it means that you can gain the trust and respect of everyone around you!_ ”

Since when was his little protégé so wise?

She was right; self-restraint wasn’t the enemy. After all, it allowed the businessman to get closer to her, to get to know her. His self-control allowed him to gain her trust and forge a bond, one that was supposed to be stronger than something like **this**.

But now he had sullied that.

He’d be lucky if she ever looked at him again.

The older man stood up straight, fully recovered, and walked over to the three teenagers. Tucker noticed him first, casting a concerned glance his way. He felt grateful that the computer geek wasn’t accusing him, even if he did deserve it. Although, that isn’t to say that her opinion of him mattered at all. In fact, **he** didn’t have an opinion on the Nubian 16-year-old one way or another, but he at least acknowledged her liking of him.

The goth, on the other hand, was a different story.

The boy looked up at him, scowling, but remaining silent. The only sound that could be heard was Dani’s wracked sobs.

The older half ghost stopped in front to his little badger, regret tugging at his heart.

“Danielle,” he said gently.

She looked up at him, her palms and cheeks moist with her tears.

Vlad’s eyebrows folded and his red orbs reflected his deep sadness.

“Danielle, I’m so sorry for this, for what I’ve put you through. I will atone for my transgressions, I swear it,” he avowed. 

She sniffed. “V-vlad?”

“I’m sorry, little badger,” he said in a near whisper, getting on one knee and placing a gloved-hand to her cheek.

Though irritated, Sam did not stop him.

In response, Dani put her own hand over Vlad’s, surprising the older man. Was she not furious? Did she not hold a grudge against him?

Sniffing again, she asked: “A-are you back to normal?”

He smiled in relief but didn’t give a reply. In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure. He still felt monstrously jealous of the rebel teen, but he always had been; he still felt like dropping the boy off a building or locking him in a closet, but as to whether or not he would carry out any of those thoughts, remained to be seen.

Too soon, he rose, taking his hand away. He immediately missed her warm cheek and Dani missed his warm hand.

“I’ll recompense for what I’ve done today, so please, head home and rest,” he advised before hovering just inches off the ground.

“Where’re you going?” Tucker inquired.

“I believe there’s still a certain wish granting pest on the loose,” he remarked, looking to his right. “I will track her down and send her back into the Ghost Zone.”

“Wait!” Dani cried, reaching for his cape as he rose higher in the air.

He looked down at her, offering a reassuring smile. “Everything will be alright, Danielle.”

With that said, he took off into the black night sky.

“We need to go after him,” the ghost girl proclaimed, standing up.

“How come? Seems like he’s got this,” the techno geek disagreed.

“And you actually trust him?” the goth criticized, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, it was only because of **your** wish that he acted the way he did,” Tucker pointed out.

“Guys, enough!” the younger half ghost reprimanded before turning to Sam. “You don’t want go, fine---but I am, and you can’t stop me.”

Her conviction alone was enough to sway the rebel.

“Wouldn’t even consider trying. Let’s go.” 

With a nod and a determined visage, the ghost girl scooped up her friends once more and trailed after the business mogul.

 

*********

 

It took Dani less than an hour to find the billionaire; he was locked in a epic skirmish with Desiree, who had transformed into a much larger ghost---she had to be at least three feet taller than she was originally, and possessed three arms on each side, an extra pair of eyes, and a stunning headdress with a single sapphire gem at the center of dazzling yellow diamonds. Each of her six hands held balls of blue fire, which she tossed repeatedly at the older half ghost. He dodged, naturally, without issue, though it seemed he was having a difficult time retaliating.

Desiree dodged his attacks too, with only a couple out of every five or six actually hitting her. The tycoon looked rather miffed, his fangs bared and his gaze harsh. Pulling back his arm, he launched a sphere of ecto-energy shaped like the end of a morning star. The spiked ball hurtled toward the ghostly wish granter, and she caught it in her grasp, stopping it mid-air.

 The spikes shot out from her hand, spearing through the green appendage. Desiree cried out in pain, releasing Vlad’s thorny projectile. It faded into the ether before touching the ground, and the eccentric bachelor sported a cocky grin.

“Honestly, Desiree, did you really think you could defeat me? My reputation in the Ghost Zone **alone** is enough to deter any would-be adversaries, yet you have the gal to assume you can best me?”

The ghostly wish granter growled in rebuke, firing a volley of flame-engulfed energy-blasts at the billionaire, who merely turned intangible and offered a fake yawn.

“Wow...he’s something, isn’t he?” Tucker asked in awe.

“Yeah, **something** ,” Sam said as he rolled his eyes.

As soon as Desiree’s attack finished, Vlad soared toward the Khali-looking ghost and landed a swift, bone-shattering punch to her abdomen (of course, as ghosts don’t have bones, Desiree received no such injury). She fell back, held her injured spot, and responded in kind---whipping her enormous tail around and smacking Vlad in the side, sending him flying into a nearby billboard. He slammed into the adverstisment on his back, looking like a pinned star fish.

He let out a curt grunt, and his expression was rather cross.

“Well now, you certainly enjoy kindling my wrath, don’t you?” he addressed with ice in his tone, his cocky grin morphing into a dissatisfied frown.

“You do not threaten me, Plasmius,” Desiree responded, turning around to face him. “No ghost equals me in strength. My power can overcome any opposition.”

“Is that so? Then perhaps you won’t mind if I challenge your claim, for you see, it is **I** who has unrivaled power,” Vlad affirmed confidently before bursting from his intrenched spot on the billboard and rocketing straight toward Desiree, his gloved-fists brimming with ecto-energy.

“Whooo! Go get her, Vlad!” the computer geek encouraged, using her hands as a makeshift megaphone.

 _That’s right, go get her, Vlad,_ Dani thought.

The older man sailed toward his target, wearing another cocky grin, flashing his pearly whites. He was still quite incensed with what had happened, he was still angry with himself for allowing it **to** happen, but he swore to redeem himself, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

He knew that Dani was watching him. He knew she had arrived some momentss ago, and he intended to prove his worthiness to her. The businessman was going to show her, Tucker, Sam, and the **world** that he was worthy of being at his little badger’s side, and he was going to have a helluva time doing it.

In short, he was looking forward to getting some sweet revenge.

Vlad collided with Desiree, bursting right through her ectoplasmic form, creating a hole in her midsection. In response, the ghostly wish granter shrieked and stared daggers at the black-haired half ghost, those four red orbs of hers glowing with red and rage.

But the billionaire gave her no time to recover and he swerved back around and blasted her chest with two rays of fuchsia energy from his palms. Desiree flew backward, hitting the same billboard Vlad had crashed into.  

Ahhh, karma.

Vlad snorted at the irony and brought his fists up, ready to strike his foe again.

“You almost got her!” the young heroine invigorated.

He glanced at his little protégé and smiled warmly.

_She truly doesn’t think any less of me, then? Ha, looks like I underestimated her heart._

Then Desiree pealed herself off the destroyed billboard, groaning in discomfort. The debris fell onto the street below, emanated brash sounds as the steel and wood hit concrete and cement.

She launched four of her arms in his direction, stretching them passed the natural limit an arm should reach, only for him to weave out of the way and seize those elongated limbs.

“You---you dare lay a hand on me?” she questioned furiously. “No man may lay a hand on me unless **I** wish it!”

“Oh, don’t be so conceited, Desiree,” Vlad countered with a raised eyebrow. “There is only one woman I wish to touch in that regard, and you are **not** her.”

The ghostly wish granter turned to mist, thus escaping the older man’s grasp, but she quickly reformed a few feet away, charging at him with full speed. In order to avoid collision, Vlad turned intangible and ducked under Desiree’s monstrous form, and once on the other side, turned tangible again and grabbed her tail, whirling her around a couple times before throwing her into the rubble of the billboard.

As the trio watched all this, the younger half ghost followed her mentor closely with her eyes. She hadn’t heard what he’d said to Desiree, but she had a feeling it was important. 

“Maybe we can wish her in the Thermos now,” Tucker recommended.

“I think we should,” Sam agreed. “But, if its all the same to you guys, I would like to do it this time.”

Dani looked down at her friend. “How come?”

“‘Cause this was all my fault; it was **my** wish that made Vlad act the way he did, and it was **my** wish that made you attack him, making you cry,” the goth explained. “Vlad was saying earlier that he had to fix his mistakes, and I want to do the same.”

“And, lets face it---you don’t wanna get shown up by him,” the techno geek remarked with a smirk.

“So what?” Sam replied in slight annoyance. “What’s your point?”

The ghost girl contemplated this for a moment before setting her friends down on a nearby rooftop.

“O.K., good plan,” she approved, handing the rebel teen the Fenton Thermos. “Let’s finish this.”

“Right,” the black-clad teenager said with nod, then looked over to the hovering billionaire. “Go join him, help him distract her.”

“Huh?”

“Just go, O.K.? I know you want to be with him, anyway,” he explicated with a knowing smile. “You’ve been wanting to go over there since we found him.”

The younger half ghost sported a guilty expression, but it quickly faded into one of acknowledgment and gratitude.

“Thanks, Sam,” she said in pure appreciation.

“Whatever,” he replied with a dismissive hand wave, still smiling. “Just go help your boyfriend.”

Dani blushed. “H-he’s not my boyfriend,” she retorted, then flew off to the older man’s side.

_Yet._

The tycoon saw the young heroine out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head to look at her---her flowing white hair, sparkling green eyes, adorable face and all.

“Danielle.”

“Hey, let’s kick some butt,” the young girl stated with confidence in her tone.

He smirked and nodded in reply. “Indeed.”

Desiree raced toward the two half ghosts, clearly fed up with their meddling. So, as a show of their own disapproval, they pulled their arms back, summoning more ecto-energy, and blasted the ghostly wish granter in unison, striking her in the same place at the same time.

As she wailed in pain (and irritation), Sam and Tucker darted to the other side of the roof, with the former uncapping the Thermos when they arrived.

“Desiree,” he began, practically shouting for all of Amity Park to hear. “I wish you were once again inside this Thermos!!”  

The ghost in question darted her head to Sam, horror written on her face.

“What?! No! I must obey once more!”

Sudden, she was being pulled into the Fenton Thermos at full force; the blue funnel tugged at her form as she was sucked down into the metal canister, and all the while, her cries of disdain and oath of vengeance permeated the chilled night air.

 When she was secured inside, Sam recapped the Thermos and plopped down on his knees, happy that this mess was all over.

Dani sighed and let her arms droop in front of her, suddenly feeling exhausted.

“Man, I’m ready for a nap,” she commented.

_Then again, it **is** almost 8 o’clock. Might as well just go to bed. _

She was about to turn to her mentor when arms encased her in a warm embrace, unexpectedly and suddenly. The older man’s familiar musk filtered through her nose as she felt the soft fabric of his suit’s sleeves on her cheek.

Those very cheeks burned, but she smiled sweetly and returned the billionaire’s cradling hug.

“Danielle,” he began, without continuing his sentence. It seemed as though he only wanted to say her name.

The girl let her eyelids slide shut. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh, Danielle.”

He tugged her tighter, his right arm moving down her back and his other lingering at her neck. Dani’s own arms were wrapped around the bachelor’s back, clenching his cape in delicate hands.

She knew he regretted what transpired today, but she didn’t blame him in the slightest. Heck, she didn’t even blame Sam---she was just glad everything was back to the way to was supposed to be, and she was so happy that Vlad was back to normal.

_I was so worried he was going to fall. I was so worried that he would be eaten alive by his bad sides, allowing his good sides to fade away. I hope in the future that he can express more of his good sides, and maybe even let go to his negative opinions of my dad and other people._

When Vlad pulled away, he didn’t fully release his little badger, but instead smiled, and looked deep into her eyes.

And she did the same.

Dani’s nerves were telling her to hide her face from him, to not let him see how flustered she was becoming, but she didn’t listen---she wanted to **look** at him.

They shared a compassionate stare, viewing one another’s tender expressions in depth. Neither one of them wanted to leave the other’s arms, or turn away. If it were at all possible, they would have made it so that time stood still, so that they could remain like that forever.

“Yo, Dani! Vlad! How long you gonna hug like that?” Tucker called in a teasing tone of voice.

Falling off of cloud nine, the ghost girl squeaked and shoved her face into Vlad’s chest, suddenly longing to hide from the world. Oh, why couldn’t her courage have lasted a little longer?

Of course, the business mogul didn’t mind this position either, and felt his heart skip a beat. But, naturally, he couldn’t just ignore the change in mood, so he drifted over to the roof Sam and Tucker sat upon and landed softly on the surface, releasing one arm from the young girl’s person.

His other slid up to Dani’s shoulder blades.

“Boy, I’m beat,” the computer geek sighed. “I’m ready for bed.”

“Me too,” Sam chimed in, still sitting on his knees.

“Well, I need to send Desiree back into the Ghost Zone, but the control panel for the portal needs to be fixed first,” the ghost girl noted, trying to forget her embarrassment.  

“I believe I can help with that,” the billionaire offered, tilting his head and eyeing his little badger.

“Would you? ‘Cause that would be super awesome,” she responded before yawning.

“But of course. It’s the least I can do.”

“Yeah well, I think you two have a lot to talk about, so Sam and I will just head on home,” Tucker stated as she helped the goth to his feet, who also let out a yawn.

“W-what do you mean?” Dani inquired shyly.

“Girl, you **know** what I mean.”

She did, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for that conversation anymore.

In fact, she **knew** she wasn’t. Damn teenaged nerves.  

With that, Tucker and Sam waved and walked over to the fire escape, climbing the three stories down and trotting down the well-lit street.

Dani blinked numerous times as she watched them go, partly out of surprise that Sam would relent without **any** dissidence, and partly because of Tucker’s forwardness.

When she heard Vlad clear his throat, she tensed up.

_O.K., time to calm down. I mean, what does Tucker think will happen, anyway? I really doubt Vlad’s gonna take this in a romantic direction. And besides, its not like Tucker or I really know how he feels about me, at least in that sense. He acted so clingy all day, and maybe his actions can be **seen** as romantic feelings, but I just don’t know. I want to ask him, but I can’t now. Though, I think I **think** I may have a better idea about how he feels about me…_

_Honesty, I just want this day to be over._

“Well, Danielle, I believe we should take care of your ghost portal, don’t you think?”

“Uh---yes! Yes, I agree!” she exclaimed, feeling relieved, joyful, and disappointed all at the same time.

Maybe that talk was coming, perhaps somewhere down the line, but right now, all Dani wanted to do was hold the man she loved as they soared across the sky to her house and disposed of Desiree, not having to worry about mutual feelings or what everything that day had really meant.

And that’s exactly what she got. 


End file.
